Rites of Passage
by TessaStarDean
Summary: COMPLETE. AU. As teenagers growing up in Montana in the 1950s, our characters' lives intertwine. FlackStella, DannyLindsay, AdamAngell, MacMichelle
1. Fall

Danny sat in a chair, staring out the window of his new apartment. It wasn't much to look at, but it was clean, and the landlady seemed nice enough. He didn't need anyone asking how old he was, or why he had suddenly shown up in Bozeman.

Of course, his bike had drawn a look or two from the locals as soon as he arrived in town. He knew they were dying to figure him out – every small town he'd passed had been virtually the same. Despite that, he thought that maybe Montana might work for him. He was tired of traveling, and his money was starting to run low. Eventually, he was going to have to settle down.

Besides, anywhere was better than where he had been.

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Stella flinched slightly as Jessica Angell slammed her locker shut. "Rough day?" she asked.

Her friend sighed, and the two of them turned and started walking down the hallway. "I'm failing chem."

"I thought you didn't know how to fail."

"This stuff is totally over my head, Stella. I just don't get it."

"I'm still impressed you're taking the class at all. You're certainly the only cheerleader actually striving for academic excellence."

"Yeah, well…" Jess shrugged. "Need good grades if I'm gonna go to college, ya know?"

Stella looked at her closely. "Is that you talking, or your dad?"

She rolled her eyes. "Me, mostly." She paused. "I think I wanna teach."

Her friend smiled. "I think that would suit you really well."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Jess' smile faded. "Then I have to pass chem."

"I know some of the tutors," Stella suggested. "I could see which ones specialize in the sciences and get you some time with them."

"A tutor?" she asked skeptically.

"They're all students," she assured her. "And they're all pretty nice. You said it yourself, Jess – you need to pass chemistry. And probably with something better than a 'C'."

Her friend sighed. "Just try and get me someone who doesn't think all cheerleaders are evil and stupid, okay?"

Stella laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

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"Bonasera!"

Stella rolled her eyes as she kept walking, knowing that he would catch up to her eventually – he always did. And sure enough, a few seconds later he was by her side, his black and red varsity jacket setting him apart from the other students around them.

"Hey, Stell."

"Flack."

"You don't sound too happy to see me."

"Maybe that's because you don't seem to know how to take no for an answer."

"C'mon," he said, shifting his backpack higher on his shoulder. "I haven't asked ya out in weeks."

"And yet you're still here."

Even out of the corner of her eye, Stella could see the hurt expression that flashed across his face. "You didn't say we couldn't be friends," he said quietly.

She couldn't help but smirk at him. "No, I guess I didn't."

His smile was back immediately. "So I can walk ya out to your car?"

Stopping, she turned to face him. "Isn't that against some varsity rule, Flack? I don't exactly hang out with your circle."

"You know I don't play any of that popularity bullshit, Stell."

Her expression gentled. "I know."

They turned and started to walk again, heading towards the student parking lot. Flack waved to most of the guys, but he didn't seem to really look at them.

"Why were you stayin' late?" he finally asked.

Stella shrugged. "Yearbook stuff. I take it you had practice?"

"Yeah." He paused, seeing that they were almost to her car. "You goin' to the game Friday?"

"Kinda have to. A game against our rivals…the yearbook wants pictures."

He shifted nervously. "So I'll see ya there?"

Stella rolled her eyes again, but this time there was a smile on her face. "You just don't give up, do you?"

His blue eyes sparkled. "Not when it's worth it."

"Flatterer."

She climbed into her car and shut the door before rolling down the window. Flack just grinned at her.

"See ya tomorrow, Stell."

Waving at him, she put the car in gear and backed out of the spot. She glanced in her rearview mirror just before leaving the lot and she saw that Don was still standing there, smiling in her direction. She shook her head and focused on the road – all the while cursing herself for blushing.

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Adam frowned as he opened up the textbook and began scanning through the section titles. It had been awhile since he'd done average chemistry, and he wanted to brush up on the basics before he tried to help anyone else.

He hadn't wanted to take on any tutoring. At the beginning of the year, Ms. Dessler had put him in charge of the program, and now he spent his time processing requests and scheduling sessions. But Stella had practically begged him, saying that one of her friends needed science help, and needed someone who wasn't going to talk down to her. And he had to admit – his two science tutors had some superiority issues, especially when it came to their more popular classmates.

His eyes drifted away from the page he was reading as he noticed a pair of very attractive legs standing next to the table. Slowly, his eyes made their way over the smooth skin and across the skirt and top that marked her as a cheerleader. By the time his gaze finally rested on her face, she was giving him a pointed look, one eyebrow arched.

"You Adam Ross?" she asked.

"Ummm…yeah."

She nodded and took the seat next to him. "I'm Jess."

"Right. Stella's friend." He frowned slightly. "And a cheerleader. She, uh, she didn't mention that part."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Jess asked, her voice hard.

"No, I –"

"Look, I know you're one of the smart kids, and I'm just a bimbo with pompoms, but do you think you could refrain from treating me like one? I do my work, I get good grades, I just don't get chem."

Adam's eyes had widened steadily during her small tirade, and now he ducked his head, blushing furiously.

"No, that's…I didn't mean…I'm sorry –"

Her expression gentled and she sighed, reaching over and resting her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. You didn't deserve that."

Her touch only seemed to make him more nervous, though. "I, uh…I only meant…" He shook his head. "Nevermind."

Jess mentally kicked herself. "I'm serious, Adam. That wasn't about you. I just – I hate having to ask for help." She paused, swallowing her pride. "But I need your help with this stuff. Please."

He nodded, turning to look at her. "Okay."

She gave him a small smile as she pulled out her books. "So where do we start?"

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Stella hurried up the walkway as soon as she had the car parked, pushing the door open and dropping her bag on the floor.

"Is that you Stella?"

She smiled as she walked into the kitchen. "Yeah, Sandy. Sorry I'm late."

""That's okay, dear. Dinner's almost ready though. Why don't you go help Lindsay set the table?"

"Sure." Walking into the dining room, she saw that her friend was already pulling down the silverware and plates. "Hey, Linds."

"Hey," she said, handing over the forks and knives. "You're late."

Stella shrugged. "Yearbook."

Lindsay gave her a knowing look. "Yearbook never makes you this late, Stell."

"I had work to do."

"You're blushing."

"I am not."

"And now you're blushing even more." Lindsay stopped, hands on her hips. "Were you talking to Don Flack again?"

"No."

"Liar." By now, Lindsay was grinning. "He likes you."

Stella sighed. "I know."

"I don't get that," she said, shaking her head. "You act like it's a bad thing. You've got the cutest boy in school chasing after you, and he's not even a jerk like most of the guys on the team. Why won't you give him a chance?"

"You know why."

Lindsay moved over to her and rested a hand gently on her arm. "You need to let that go, Stella."

She shook her head. "I made this mistake once. I won't do it again."

"So you're just going to push him away? Pretend that you don't like him?"

"He's better off without me. Trust me, kiddo. I'm doing him a favor."

They both looked up as Sandy came into the room, carrying the main course of their dinner. "No, you're not," she said quietly. Then her smile was back on and she moved forward to help her mom.

"Thanks, sweetheart," she said warmly. "Would you go get your father? I think he's out on the back porch."

"I'll get him," Stella offered.

She found him sitting in his favorite chair, a book in his hand as the sun was setting in the distance. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched him for a while, loving how safe she felt just being near him.

"Did you need something Stella? Or were you just admiring my profile?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed, coming out to sit next to him. "You knew I was there the whole time, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," he said. He marked his place and then set the book down before turning to look at her. "And how was your day?"

"It was okay."

"I heard my daughter teasing you about a boy."

"Your daughter has too much time on her hands."

He looked at her for a long moment. "You've become my daughter too, Stella. You know that. And if you'll let me, I'd like to impart a little fatherly wisdom here." He waited until she met his eyes before continuing. "You cannot let one person dictate how you interact with everyone else."

She waited. "That's it?"

"I think that's enough for one day."

She chuckled. "Thanks, Brian."

"Trust me, Stella. What I just told you is much easier to hear than it is to act upon."

"Are you two coming to dinner or what?"

Brian nodded to his daughter, standing in the doorway with an exasperated look on her face. "We're coming." Turning, he helped Stella to her feet. "Aren't we?"

Stella gave him a small smile. "We are."

Dinner in the Monroe house was always Stella's favorite part of the day. The four of them would talk and laugh, sharing stories whether they were happy or sad. The dinner table was a safe place to talk about what was going on, to think out loud any decisions that you were faced with. Both Sandy and Brian were calm parents, who listened to the girls with their complete attention, imparting any wisdom and guidance that they could.

"Oh," Stella said suddenly as she swallowed the last of her food. "I forgot to mention – the car was making a funny noise on the way home today."

Brian frowned. "Funny how?"

"Funny as in…not a sound it's made before? I don't know much about cars except that they take me where I need to go."

"Hmm. I guess I'll need to take it to the shop. I don't want it breaking down while one of you two girls is driving it."

"I can take it," Lindsay offered. "I have study hall in the morning, so I can take the car on my way in. That way you don't have to be late for work."

"That's very sweet of you, dear," her mother said.

Brian nodded. "I'll leave the money on the counter. Just tell Mitch to make the noise stop and give the car a once-over, okay?"

Lindsay nodded. "Sounds good."

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Stella and Lindsay got ready for bed like they did every night, the routine so ingrained in them that neither gave it a second thought. The two girls had shared a room for more than ten years, and had grown comfortable with each other early on. When Stella had first moved in, a girl traumatized by the deaths of her parents, she had retreated into herself, ignoring the little girl that tried so hard to be her friend.

But Lindsay had been persistent, in the way only a seven-year-old could be, and the two had become like sisters. Even as they entered high school and gained friends outside of each other, they continued to share a room, and to share everything about their hopes and fears and dreams.

"I saw Chad Williams today," Stella remarked as she climbed into bed.

Lindsay sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well aren't you lucky."

"He asked about you."

"Of course he did."

"You know, I find it funny that you're encouraging me to go out with the star quarterback, but you won't even give the class president the time of day."

Lindsay shook her head, busying herself with putting lotion on her legs. "Chad Williams is a far cry from Don Flack."

Stella's expression and voice gentled. "I know. I'm sorry, I was just teasing you."

She sighed. "I know. And I shouldn't be this defensive about it anymore. It's like…he can't believe that I would have the audacity to break up with him."

"In his mind, he can't comprehend a girl who wouldn't fall at his feet."

Lindsay smirked. "Which is why you make him so mad."

"And now so do you." Stella paused. "Just be careful with him, okay?"

"What do you mean? I'm not getting back together with him."

"I know that. But guys like that…they think they're entitled to things, Lindsay. And sometimes that can make them a little crazy."

She frowned. "You think he'd hurt me?"

"Do you?"

Lindsay thought for a long minute before answering. "The last time I talked to him, I didn't like the look in his eyes," she said quietly. Then she nodded. "I get what you're saying. I'll be careful."

"Good." Pulling the covers up around her, Stella reached up to shut off the light. "Goodnight."

Her voice was hushed when she answered, staring up into the darkness of the room. "Night, Stell."

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Danny took another sip of his coffee, his mind slowly clearing of the morning fog that enveloped it. It had been a long time since he'd had to be up so early, but he knew that in time he would get used to it again – if for no other reason than the fact that he had to.

Mitch Carlin had given him a job almost immediately. The old man asked him to finish the work on one of the cars in the shop, and by the time Danny was finished, Carlin was impressed and the job was his. It was obvious the mechanic was getting tired of getting up early every morning to open the garage, and he didn't hesitate in handing the keys over to Danny.

"Open at seven," was all he said.

Danny sighed and looked over at the clock on the wall. 7:30. He wondered just how many people in Bozeman needed their cars fixed on a regular basis.

But just then, somebody pulled up in a blue Plymouth. It was a sensible car, something he expected to see many of the husbands and fathers driving around town. Which was why he was so surprised when a young girl of sixteen or seventeen stepped out from the driver's side.

He had to admit she was cute. Her baby blue skirt almost perfectly matched the car, and the white shirt she was wearing showed off some pretty nice curves. Her dark blonde hair was swept up in a ponytail, and Danny noticed with an amused smile that the bow used to secure it matched the skirt.

When she saw him standing just inside the garage, she frowned slightly, and her steps slowed as she looked around.

"Is Mr. Carlin here?" she asked.

Danny shook his head and set down his coffee mug. "He's got me openin' now."

Realization dawned in her eyes. "You must be his new hire."

His eyebrows shot up. "Guess word travels fast around here."

She shrugged. "Small town." Her nose crinkled, and the sight almost made Danny laugh. "Your accent…where are you from?"

He had planned on lying. But when he opened his mouth, the truth came out first, and there was no way to take it back.

"New York."

"City or state?"

"City."

"Wow. Why on earth would you leave New York City to come _here_?"

He just shrugged and smiled at her. "Wanted some fresh air for a change." He stuck out his hand. "Danny Messer."

She smiled as they shook hands. "Lindsay Monroe."

His eyes sparkled. "So, Lindsay Monroe. What can I do for you?"

"The car is making a funny noise."

"Funny? Is that a technical term?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and led him over to the vehicle. "Just drive it around the block and you'll hear it. Then I'm sure you can find the _technical_ term for it."

"Touché." She handed him the keys, and he squinted in the morning light. "When do ya need it back by?"

"Before Friday would be great."

He glanced over at her. "Got a hot date?"

She shook her head, her ponytail bouncing. "Football game."

"You don't strike me as the cheerleadin' type. Or the football playin', for that matter."

That made her laugh, and he realized that that was what he had been going for. "You're right. On both counts. But football is a pretty big deal in this town, and we're playing our rivals, so…" She shrugged.

Danny nodded. "Maybe I should check it out then."

"Maybe you should."

For a second, he found himself staring at her, taking in the way the sun hit her skin, and the playfulness in her eyes. Then he shook himself out of it and gestured toward the car. "Wanna lift? I can drop ya off at the school, and hear that noise for myself."

She grinned. "The funny one."

"Yeah. The funny one."

She looked at him for a moment and then nodded, walking over to the passenger's side. "Sounds good."

Stella shook her head as she walked over to the football field. She had stayed late with the other yearbook editor, figuring that it would be easier to walk to the game instead of driving.

And she had been right. Parked cars spilled out onto the grass, and judging by the noise in the stands, the whole town had come out to see them play Helena High. She really hoped that Lindsay had remembered to save a seat for her – otherwise, she'd never get pictures.

When she neared the stands, however, she found that she had no reason to worry. Her friend was keeping an eye out, and jumped to her feet as soon as she saw her.

"Stella! Up here!"

She waded through the crowd, stepping carefully on the wooden bleachers as she tried not to squash anyone's fingers or toes.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked, taking a seat.

Lindsay shook her head. "Game hasn't started yet." She nodded at her friend's hands. "I see you've got your camera."

"I told you – they want pictures of the game for the yearbook. Do you really think I'd be here otherwise?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh? And why's that?"

Instead of answering, Lindsay just pointed down to the field. Stella's gaze followed, and she soon found herself looking at Don Flack. He had his helmet in hand, and his eyes were eagerly scanning the crowd. With a pang of something that felt suspiciously like jealously, Stella wondered who he was looking for. But then his eyes landed on her, and his entire face lit up. Hesitantly, he raised a hand, waving at her, and Stella found that she had already returned the gesture before she'd even had a chance to think about it.

"That boy has got it so bad for you, Stella."

"You need to let that go."

Lindsay just rolled her eyes, but she could see that she was making her friend uncomfortable. "I met a guy the other day," she finally said.

Stella's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Mr. Carlin's new mechanic. He's the one that fixed the car and drove me to school the other day."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Do not make me beg for details, Lindsay Monroe."

That made her blush slightly. "He's cute. And kinda charming." When Stella just kept staring her, she laughed. "Alright, alright. He's from New York City, his name is Danny, and that's really all I know about him."

"Except that he's cute and charming."

"Kind of charming," she corrected.

"So when are you gonna see him again?"

She shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I don't know. I mentioned the game tonight."

Stella smirked as she raised her camera and began taking pictures. "He must be really cute."

Before Lindsay could come up with a reply, someone was coming toward them, gently pushing through the crowd until he could squeeze in next to Stella.

"Hey, Adam," she said warmly.

He waved to both of them. "Hey."

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"Everyone else is here."

Lindsay's nose crinkled as she frowned. "But you don't like football."

"The sport's okay. I'm just…I don't really like the guys on the team. So I think it's kind of silly to come out here and cheer for them."

Stella watched him closely. "So why are you here tonight?"

Adam shrugged. "Your friend Jess, the one I'm tutoring?" He shrugged again. "She, uh…we got off to a rough start. I'm just…I'm trying to be supportive. Maybe smooth things out between us." He paused. "Try to convince her that I, I don't think all cheerleaders are just bimbos with pompoms."

She frowned. "Did you tell her that you thought that?"

He shook his head. "No. But she, uh, she misunderstood me, and she got mad…it's gonna make this tutoring thing easier if she doesn't hate me."

"That's sweet," Lindsay said.

"Self-preservation," he corrected. "I'm pretty sure Jess could beat me up if she wanted to."

Stella smiled as she turned the camera on the cheerleaders. "I'm pretty sure you're right," she laughed.

Don never saw the hit coming. The bright lights lit up the entire field, but they also narrowed his field of vision. Blood pounding in his ears, he yelled "HIKE!" and the ball was snapped back to him. His eyes immediately searched for the teammate he knew should be there, but instead he only saw a sea of white and red Bengals, anxious to get the ball away from him.

His right side should have been protected by Dean Wilcox. Finally spotting an opening, Flack pulled his arm back and threw the ball to one of his teammates. He saw the catch made, but before he could even smile about it, a solid body crashed into his own, and he heard his ribs creak as he was plowed under.

Whistles blew and he heard booing coming from the stands, but it felt like an eternity before the heavy load on top of him was lifted. Blinking against the harsh lights, Don tried to keep his head from swimming, and then the lights were gone, and all he could see was the concerned and angry face of his coach.

"Don? Don!"

"What?" he finally groaned.

"You okay?"

"Think so," he muttered.

"Then let's get you off of the field."

When he was on his feet again, he saw that the coach had called a timeout, and the other team was already huddled around their own bleachers. By the time he reached his own team, Flack had realized that he wasn't hurt badly, and his pain had been replaced by anger.

"Hey, Wilcox!" he called. "Where the hell were you, man?"

The blonde shrugged in apology. "Couldn't get there in time, Donnie. Never saw the dude comin'."

He wanted to yell some more, upset at something he saw in his teammate's face, but the coach squeezed his shoulder, telling him to let it go.

"Alright, you two. I don't want to see anything else like that happen on that field tonight, you got me?" Everyone nodded, and he turned to Don. "You okay to go back out there?"

"I'm good, Mac," he answered.

"Good. Then get your asses back out there and win this game!"

They broke the huddle and jogged back out onto the field, lining up in their positions again. Glancing up into the stands, Flack's eyes immediately went to where he had seen Stella before. With all the lights, he couldn't see her from that distance, but it made him feel better to know that she was there.

The other team was lining up by then, and he pulled his mind back into the game. Turning his head, he looked over to make sure Dean was where he was supposed to be, and found his teammate giving him a knowing smile.

Wondering what the hell that was about, Flack waited for the whistle.

Stella was clutching Lindsay's arm so tightly, she was sure there would be bruises there in the morning. As she watched Don get up and move over to the side of the field with Coach Taylor, her grip loosened some, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The crowd was still booing loudly at the illegal hit, but all she could hear was the hammering of her heart, and she closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to calm down.

"He's alright," Lindsay reassured her, leaning to the side so she could talk in Stella's ear. "Look, he's back out on the field."

Her eyes opened again, and immediately went to where Don stood. She knew he couldn't see her in the midst of the crowd, with the lights shining so brightly, but even so, it felt as though his gaze was locked on her for a moment before he turned his attention back to the game.

"That was one hell of a hit," Adam muttered.

"Not to mention illegal," Lindsay added. Glancing over at Stella, she rested her hand on her friend's arm and squeezed it gently. "Let's hope that doesn't happen again."

Stella could only nod.

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When the game was finally over, and the residents of Bozeman were celebrating loudly on the way to their cars, Adam said goodbye to Lindsay and Stella. Hands in his pockets, he moved down the bleachers until he reached the edge of the field and then looked at his watch and frowned. If he hurried, he might be able to make it home before curfew.

"Ross!"

He turned around, surprised to see Jessica Angell jogging over to him. Her face was flushed and her eyes dancing, her spirits still up from them having beaten Helena High. He was struck again by just how beautiful she was and then shook his head, chasing those thoughts away.

"Hey."

"Hi." She looked around, as though trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to say. "You came."

Adam shrugged, trying not to blush. "You guys did good."

She rolled her eyes. "The guys did all the heavy lifting." Giving him a smirk, she continued. "Besides, we're just a bunch of pretty girls spelling words with our arms."

He winced. "Jess, I really didn't mean that…"

"Don't worry about it, Ross."

He sighed, knowing that she didn't really understand. "I didn't expect you to be stupid – I expected you to be mean. I was surprised because…because I thought Stella would give me a heads up, give me time to prepare. For a…a…"

Her eyes were curious as she watched him. "A snotty popular kid?"

Adam hung his head. "I just keep digging that hole deeper, don't I?"

Jess shook her head. "I get it," she said quietly. "You might not think that, but I do." She looked around again, hugging herself. "Thanks for coming, Adam. I was surprised to see you, but…I'm glad you came."

He nodded, his face warm. "So, uh…I'll…I'll see you Monday? Last period?"

Her smile was back. "Yeah." There was some shouting behind her, and she turned to see the rest of the squad motioning for her to hurry up.

"You should go."

"Yeah, I guess so. See you Monday, Ross."

He waved goodbye to her even as she turned around and went over to the other girls. He noticed his watch again, and winced, turning for home. There was no way he was going to get in before curfew now.

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Danny was one of the last to come down from the bleachers. He had sat there for a long time, lost in the crowd, and in his own memory. Football had never been his thing, but he remembered going to basketball games, cheering on his older brother as he led the team to victory again and again. Shaking his head, he finished coming down the steps. There was no point in dwelling on things he could never get back to.

He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the older man watching him carefully.

"You're Mitch Carlin's new mechanic, aren't you?"

Danny stopped, surprised to find that someone was speaking to him. Nodding, he turned around to face the man. "Yeah." Not knowing what else to say, he reached out and shook his hand. "Danny Messer."

The man gave him a tight smile. "Mac Taylor."

"Right. The coach." He gestured to the field. "Good game. I get the feelin' that beatin' Helena's a big deal for you guys."

"It's certainly something to be proud of." He paused. "You from back east?"

"Yeah. New York."

Mac nodded. "I grew up in Chicago."

"And you ended up in Montana, huh?"

"No stranger than you ending up here." His eyes narrowed. "How old are you?"

Danny stood up a little straighter. "Nineteen."

"Guess that's why I haven't seen you around the school."

He tensed, waiting for the next question, but it never came.

"It was nice to meet you," Mac continued, his eyes still probing. "Hopefully we'll see you at the next game."

Danny thought about it for a minute. "You just might." Nodding once more, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the parking lot, not noticing the way Mac's eyes followed him the entire way.

Mac strode down the hallways purposefully, just as he always did. The next period had already begun, and the students were all in their classrooms, leaving the school feeling as though it were empty.

As he came up to one of those classrooms, he checked the number to make sure it was the right one. Inside, he saw a young woman standing at the chalkboard, writing dates along a timeline. Her dark hair was curly and pinned up, though a few tendrils escaped down the back of her neck. The sun lit up her skin, and she glowed, her yellow dress only adding to the effect. Staring for a moment longer, Mac finally shook his head and knocked lightly on the door.

"Ms. Dessler?"

She turned at the sound of his voice, her hand poised in the middle of a word. "Yes?"

He stepped in, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm Coach Taylor. You wanted to see me?"

She smiled faintly, though he was aware that her eyes didn't send the same message. Setting down her chalk, she turned and gestured for him to pull up a chair as she sat behind her desk.

"Please, sit."

"Is there a problem?" he asked, lowering himself into the chair.

"Yes and no." She took a deep breath. "Coach Taylor –"

He held up a hand. "Call me Mac."

She smiled, and this time it reached her eyes. "Only if you'll call me Michelle."

"Deal."

Michelle nodded once. "Good. Now, Mac…as you know, your players have to maintain certain grades in order for them to stay on the team."

He frowned. "Have any of them slipped below those grades?"

"No." She hesitated. "Not yet."

"But some of them are close?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Namely Dean Wilcox and Aaron Larsen."

"Two of my starters."

"I understand that. But I can't fake their grades, Mac. I won't –"

"I'm not asking you to," he said firmly. "My guys know they've got to keep their grades up if they want to play." He paused. "I'll talk to both of them. You'll let me know if there are any changes?"

Michelle nodded, obviously relieved. "Yes, thank you."

He looked at her closely. "You were expecting a different reaction."

She looked away. "I'm used to dealing with coaches in small towns. I usually get the speech about how football – or basketball, or baseball – is an integral part of the community, and how I'm being unreasonable to burden their boys with grades."

"And when you didn't fold?" he asked.

Michelle gave him a tight smile. "It was a good thing Bozeman High was hiring," she said simply. Dropping her gaze, she looked at the stack of papers on her desk. "There's one other player we should talk about."

"Okay."

"Don Flack."

This time, Mac's frown was deep. "I have a hard time believing that Don isn't getting good grades."

"He's a smart kid, Mac. He seems to really like history, and I've seen some of the books he's reading. His papers are excellent…but he's not doing well on his tests. He's not failing, and he's in no danger of not being able to play. I just…I don't think he tests well."

"Do you think he needs a tutor?"

"No. I just think he needs some study help. Maybe someone to review with before exams." She paused. "I guess I'm asking you if you think he'd resent that. I don't want to offend him – I just want him to do well."

Mac thought for a long minute. "Don wants to succeed at whatever's put in front of him. Do you have someone in mind to study with him?"

She nodded. "One of my female students. She's patient, and extremely smart."

"Here's my suggestion. Ask her if she'd be willing to study with him, and then have _her_ bring it up. That way he won't feel like he's failing."

"I was actually thinking the same thing."

"Good. Is that all of them?"

"Yes. The rest of your players are doing just fine."

Mac nodded and stood up, extending his hand. "It was nice to meet you, Michelle. Let me know how my guys do, alright?"

She shook his hand, smiling. "Will do. Thanks for meeting with me."

He turned to walk out of the room, but not before glancing back at her once more. She had sat back down, her face turned towards the window as the sun bathed her in light. Shaking his head, Mac smiled and left.

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Jess sat at the table in the library, impatiently bouncing one of her legs up and down. Glancing at the clock again, she saw that Adam was ten minutes late. She wondered if he had forgotten.

But that didn't seem like him. Jess thought back to Friday night, and her surprise at seeing him at the game. She knew he had come for her, to make amends for their first meeting. The misunderstanding had been more her fault than his, but he had still made the effort.

Her eyes flicked to the door again, even though she knew she had checked it only half a minute before. And it hadn't changed – there was still no sign of him.

"Jess?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice, and she turned to see Adam standing right behind her. It almost immediately hit her, how tired his eyes looked, and she wondered how rough a day he'd had.

"Hey," she finally said. "I didn't see you come in."

Adam shrugged, taking the seat on her right. "I was, uh…I was in the stacks." He kept his eyes focused on the textbook he was pulling out. "Sorry I'm late."

It was then that Jess saw the bandage on his left forearm. She was certain that it hadn't been there before, and she reached out tentatively to touch it. Just as her fingers brushed the gauze, though, Adam jerked his arm away and hiding it under the table.

"What happened?"

He blushed, ducking his head even further. "I uh…I burned myself."

Jess frowned. "Doing what?"

"C-cooking. It's nothing…it's not serious."

"Did you get it checked out?"

"It's fine," he said firmly. "Where, uh…where do you wanna start today?"

She watched him carefully for a minute, scrutinizing the red in his cheeks, and the downcast look to his eyes. She wanted to keep questioning him, to figure out why he was suddenly so closed down, but somehow she knew that she wasn't going to get anything more out of him right then. Sighing, she opened her own textbook.

"How about bonds?"

Adam nodded, straightening up as they started in on a topic he was familiar with. "Okay…which kind? Ionic? Chemical? Covalent…" He saw the wide-eyed expression on Jess' face. "That's what you meant, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but…maybe we could start with what all those mean? The basics, Ross. Remember?"

He gave her a small smile. "Right. Sorry. Sometimes I get ahead of myself."

"Just remember I'm not a brainiac like you."

"I don't know, Jess…" he said quietly. "You're pretty smart." She blushed slightly, and it gave him a boost of confidence as he shrugged. "You know…for a cheerleader."

That made her laugh, and all the tension that had been there fell away. Leaning closer, Adam flipped through her book and started pointing at the page, explaining things.

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"Lookin' a little bruised there, Donnie."

Flack looked up from his stretches to see Dean Wilcox sitting a few feet away. He was still ticked about the game, remembering the light dancing in his teammate's eyes after he'd been tackled. Everything was a joke to the blonde senior, as though everyone else were just there for his amusement. Normally, Don could ignore all that and be friendly with the guy – but today was just not one of those days.

"Well, maybe if somebody had been watchin' my back like they were supposed to…"

"Hey, I told you, man. I never saw the guy comin'."

"Right," Flack muttered.

They were silent for a few minutes after that, both of them focusing on their stretches. Flack's ribs still hurt from the hit he had taken, but he forced himself to work through it, not wanting to give the coach any reason not to play him.

"Saw you walking with Bonasera the other day."

Dean's voice broke through his focus, and he turned to look at him. "So?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. Startin' to look like you might have a thing for her, though."

"Still not sure how that's any of your business, Wilcox."

Dean held up his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm just trying to do you a favor, man."

"What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"C'mon, Don. You know you could do a lot better than Bonasera."

Flack glared at him. "What, like those blonde bimbos you entertain in the backseat of your car?"

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, Donnie," Dean said, smiling wickedly.

"No thanks." He paused, making a disgusted noise. "Is there any cheerleader you haven't been with?"

"A couple."

"What, are they on your 'To Do' list?"

Dean winked. "Something like that."

Flack just shook his head, grateful when Coach Taylor blew his whistle, signifying that practice was over. Getting to his feet, he immediately moved away from Dean, wanting nothing more than to punch the guy in the face. Instead, he walked over to the bench and began gathering his things.

"Everything alright?" Mac asked, standing beside him.

Don didn't even look up. "Yeah, why?"

"Your ribs feeling okay?"

He nodded. "A little sore, but I'm fine."

Mac hesitated slightly. "What about you and Dean?"

Flack stood up straight and turned, his full height making him taller than his coach. "Not sure what you're talkin' about."

"Don't give me that bull, Flack. I can see it all over your face."

The younger man shrugged. "He's a jackass," he said quietly, knowing that Mac wouldn't reprimand him for the language.

He looked at him closely, and Don knew he was peeling away to what lay behind his words. "You think he let you get hit on purpose?" he asked finally.

Flack shook his head. "I don't know."

Mac thought about that for a minute. "Let me know if it happens again. I won't have someone on my team who pulls stunts like that." Looking over Don's shoulder, he nodded. "Looks like you've got a visitor. See you tomorrow, Flack."

Don turned to see Jess Angell standing on the other side of the fence that ringed the field. Giving her a nod, he walked over to the gate so that he could join her.

"Hey," he greeted. "What's up?"

She shrugged. "Walk me to the parking lot?"

He frowned, sensing that something was off. "Of course."

They moved away from the field, Don waiting for his friend to say something first. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, noticing the rigid set of her shoulders.

"Can you drive me home?" she asked suddenly. "My brother was supposed to pick me up, but he got stuck at work…"

"Yeah, of course." He frowned again. "What's wrong, Jess?"

She stopped and turned to face him. "Nothing. I just…I didn't want to hang around that close to Dean Wilcox."

His mind flashing back to the conversation he'd just had with his teammate, Flack tensed. "Why? He do somethin'?"

Jess shook her head. "Not really. It's just…he's made it abundantly clear that he's interested…even though I've made it abundantly clear that I'm not."

His jaw hurt from clenching it so hard. "He done anything I need to kick his ass for?"

She reached out and rested her hand on his arm. "No. He's been nothing more than…vocally appreciative of my looks."

"It goes any further than that, you let me know, okay? 'Cause I'll get your brothers and we'll kick the crap out of him."

Jess smiled. "You're a good friend, Flack."

He nodded. "C'mon, let's get you home." As they opened the doors and climbed into the car, he looked over at her again. " Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"I meant what I said. If he makes a move, let me know. And don't get caught alone with him."

She looked as though she wanted to laugh it off, but his eyes were too serious, and she finally just nodded. Taking a deep breath, Flack started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

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"And where are you two headed off to?"

Lindsay turned to face her father, the car keys in her hand. He sat in his chair, reclining back with his feet in the air and his nose stuck in a book.

"The diner. A bunch of us are meeting up there, remember?"

He still didn't look up. "Will there be boys there?"

Stella rolled her eyes. "Unless the good sisters of St. Catherine's have taken over…"

Brian chuckled as he finally looked over the top of his book at them. "Be nice to the nuns, Stella."

She smiled. "Yes, sir."

"Just be good, girls. And don't stay out too late."

They both made their promises and then headed out the door.

"Oh my God, he's here."

Stella reached over and gently pried her friend's fingers from around her arm. "Who?"

"Danny."

Her friend's eyebrows went up, and she followed Lindsay's gaze across the diner. "Wow," she replied. "He is cute." She turned back, and then kicked her under the table. "Stop staring."

Lindsay jerked her head back around and nodded, her cheeks pink. "Right. Stopping." She took a deep breath. "You need to distract me."

Stella chuckled and shook her head as she slid out of the booth. "You can distract yourself. I need to go remind Norm to not burn my burger."

She walked toward the counter, smirking at the way Lindsay stared at her with wide eyes. It was obvious that her friend had a serious crush on the new mechanic, and Stella had to admit that she enjoyed torturing her just a little.

"Well hello there, Ms. Bonasera," Norm said from his place behind the counter.

"Hey, Norm."

"Something I can do for you?"

"Just wanted to make sure you weren't burning anything."

He laughed at that, deep and genuine. "You mean your burger. Don't you worry, Ms. Bonasera. I keep a special eye on yours."

Stella grinned. "Thanks, Norm."

"Hey there, Stell."

She turned to see Don Flack standing behind her, a coke in his hand and a shy smile on his face. His blue eyes struck her, and she found herself smiling broadly at him.

"Hey, Don." She glanced around him. "Who are you here with?"

He shrugged. "No one."

"You just came here to hang out alone?" she asked skeptically.

He hesitate slightly, glancing down at the floor. "I was hopin' you might show up."

"And why would that matter to you?"

Her eyes widened as he blushed and shrugged again. "Thought maybe you'd like to dance," he said quietly.

Stella almost said no. The response was automatic, something she had played over so often in her head. But as she looked at Don standing in front of her, she could see the hope and shyness shining in his blue eyes.

"I'd love to," she whispered.

For a minute, he just stared at her like he hadn't heard her right. Then he grinned broadly, and she felt like the entire room lit up. Reaching out, he gently took her hand in his and led her over to the jukebox.

The words of "Earth Angel" came through the speakers, and instead of chuckling at the sappiness like she normally did, Stella found herself moving just a little closer to Flack, her arms looped around his shoulders. His hands rested comfortably on her hips, occasionally tightening their grip as though he were afraid she'd suddenly slip away.

"I'm glad you came tonight, Stell."

"You just never give up, do you?" she asked, but her voice was hushed and her eyes bright.

He looked at her closely. "Do you really want me to?"

All she could do was shake her head slightly and move a little closer.

Don lowered his head until his mouth was closer to her ear. "Let me drive you home," he murmured.

Stella let her fingers dance along the back of his neck, for once forcing her mind to shut up.

"Okay," she whispered.

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Lindsay was staring hard at her food, trying not to look around the diner. Every time she raised her eyes, they immediately shifted to Danny, sitting up at the counter and drinking a milkshake. She sighed as she realized that once again she was looking at him, staring at the black leather jacket he wore. Forcing her eyes back to her burger, she tried to think of something else.

"Lindsay?"

She almost dropped her food at the sound of his voice, and she looked up to see Danny standing right in front of her, hands deep in his pockets. Swallowing quickly, she tried to give him a relaxed smile, even though she knew she was probably far from the mark.

"Hey."

"Not sure if you remember me…"

She nodded, wondering how he could think she'd forget him. "Danny."

He smiled at that. "Yeah. I just, uh…I just wanted to say hi."

"Why don't you sit down?"

"I saw you with your friend…I wouldn't want to take her seat."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, gesturing to the other side of the diner. "Stella's busy dancing with Flack. She won't be back for a while."

Danny glanced over his shoulder as he sat down, a knowing smile on his face. "Ahh. I see that now. That her man?"

"No. They haven't quite gotten that far."

"Slowpokes, huh?"

"You have no idea."

He nodded, looking around them. "So this is what kids do around here, huh?"

"Must seem pretty boring to someone from New York."

Danny shrugged. "Nah. Nice and quiet. I like that."

She watched him carefully, a smile playing on her lips. "So you think you'll stay?"

He looked her straight in the eye. "I think there's a few things worth stickin' around for."

"Lindsay?"

They both looked up to see Stella standing there, nervously wringing her hands in front of her.

"Hey," Lindsay greeted. "Danny, this is my friend Stella. Stella…this is Danny."

Stella nodded at him, giving him a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you." She turned to Lindsay. "Don is going to give me a ride home," she said quietly.

Lindsay looked at her pointedly. "Good."

Rolling her eyes, Stella set the keys on the table. "I just wanted to drop these off." Her eyes flitted to Danny for a moment. "And make sure you get home at a decent time, or Brian will have my head, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

They watched as Don came up and rested his hand in the small of Stella's back. He led her from the diner, the tiny bells above the door jingling as they exited.

"Brian?" Danny asked.

"My dad," Lindsay explained. "Stella lives with me."

He frowned. "What happened to her parents?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not really sure that's my story to tell. But she's lived with me for a really long time. We're like sisters."

"That's nice." He nodded at the keys. "Guess this means I can't drive ya home, huh?"

Lindsay smiled at him. "Not this time."

His eyebrows rose. "But maybe next time?"

Her smile broadened.

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Don slowed the pickup to a stop in front of Stella's driveway, not wanting everyone in the house to know that he had given her a ride home. They had gone the whole way in silence, and he was worried that she was going to give him the brush-off again, but she made no move for the door handle. Finally, he decided that he was just going to go for it.

"Do you wanna go see a movie Saturday night?"

He glanced over at her, seeing the way she stared at him with wide eyes, and his heart started to sink.

"Don…"

He tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You're gonna turn me down again aren't you?"

Stella watched him for a minute and then shook her head. "No."

He frowned. "No, you don't wanna go to the movies or no you're not turnin' me down?"

She smiled. "No, I'm not turning you down." She paused. "I'd love to see a movie with you, Don."

Flack grinned at her, his eyes bright. "Wow. You finally said yes."

Stella shrugged. "I'm tired of running."

"You don't ever have to run from me. You know that, right?"

"I'm starting to learn it." She turned to look out her window. "I should probably go in."

He nodded. "Right." She reached for the door handle, just as he reached out for the hand that rested between them. "Stell –"

She turned back around and then his lips were on hers, soft and gentle. They stayed like that for a long minute, Stella's free hand coming up to touch his face. When they finally parted, he brushed his nose against hers.

"Pick ya up at six?"

Stella nodded, knowing that she was grinning from ear to ear. "Six."

Don pulled back to his side of the truck and squeezed her hand one last time. "Night, Stell."

She hopped out of the truck and shut the door before glancing back at him through the open window. "Goodnight, Don."


	2. Winter

Adam shook the snow from his shoulders as he hesitantly knocked on the door. He could see lights on inside, and even hear voices laughing. Fighting down the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach, he raised his hand and knocked again.

This time someone opened the door, and Adam found himself facing Jessica Angell. She wore a plaid jumper with a dark blouse underneath it, but he could really only focus on the smile she was directing at him.

"Ross?"

Realizing she had spoken to him, Adam fought to bring his mind back to making coherent sentences.

"Hey."

"Is there a reason you're still standing out in the cold?"

He shrugged. "I, uh…well, technically you haven't, um…haven't invited me in yet."

"Jessica, are you letting that poor man freeze to death outside?" an older woman called from deeper in the house.

Jess rolled her eyes. "Just teasing him, Mom." Nodding at Adam, she grinned and stepped to the side. "Come on in, Ross."

He walked into the house slowly, his nerves tightening. But as Jess shut the door and he started to take off his jacket, her mother walked over to him with a bright smile on her face.

"You must be Adam," she said warmly. "Jessica has told us so much about you."

He frowned. "She has?"

"Yeah, you saved her butt," a young man quipped from the couch. "Chemistry was gonna be the death of her."

"Language, Jacob," Mrs. Angell scolded. "We have a guest."

"You'll have to excuse my brothers," Jess said. "All of them."

"You have three, right?"

She nodded, taking his jacket from him and hanging it by the door. "Yeah. Don't worry, they're under strict orders to behave tonight." She watched as her mother went into the kitchen. "Not that any of them actually know how to do that…" she muttered.

Adam chuckled, and Jess smiled at him. "C'mon, let's eat."

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An hour later, the table had been cleared, and Jess and Adam had their books spread out in front of them. From the living room they could hear the rest of the family listening to the radio, but the sound was low enough for them to ignore.

Jess had pulled her chair right up next to his, and Adam was having a hard time concentrating on the science. Her thigh continually brushed up against his, and their knees were in almost constant contact. He could feel the blush creeping up his neck, but he was powerless to stop it. Thankfully, she knew most of the answers, and he could simply smile and nod.

"You've really got this, Jess…" he finally choked out. "I mean, I'm not really sure why you wanted to go over it again…you've got it."

"Thanks to you," she pointed out. "My brother was right…I would have failed this completely without you." She shrugged. "Besides, I thought dinner was the least I owed you."

This time the blush reached his cheeks. "Thank you…for inviting me. It was really nice. The dinner, and your family…"

"Trust me. My mother has been bugging me for weeks to invite you. I just…I didn't know if you'd want to."

Adam frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

She shrugged, and for the first time, he realized that she might be nervous too. "I still can't tell if you like me or not, Adam," she said quietly, her eyes glued to the book in front of her.

He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by that, but his answer was the same regardless. "I like you."

Jess gave him a shy smile. "So we're friends?"

He couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, Jess. We're friends."

"Good." She sat up, all the worry gone from her face. "Did you bring any of your homework?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I was thinking you could do it here, while I do my history. No reason we should be stuck doing homework alone."

He nodded, pulling out his other books. "Sounds good to me."

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It was late by the time Adam finally decided that he had to go home. He had enjoyed himself, just sitting next to Jess and doing their homework. The house was full and warm, the entire family welcoming him with ease. It had been a long time since Adam had felt so comfortable somewhere.

"Is your dad picking you up?" Jess asked as he put on his coat.

He didn't meet her eyes. "Uh, no."

She frowned. "I didn't see a car pull up when you got here…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened. "Did you_ walk_?"

Adam shrugged. "It's not that far."

Jess stared at him. "No way am I letting you walk home. Let me get my dad –"

"I'll drive him," Jake said, pushing himself off the couch.

Adam shook his head. "It's okay –"

"He's driving you home," Jess said firmly. "It's late, and it's snowing. At least this way I won't have to worry about you."

Realizing it was pointless to argue, Adam just nodded. "I'll, uh…I'll see you tomorrow maybe?"

"Definitely," she corrected with a smile. "I'll come find you to tell you how the exam went."

They said their goodbyes, and then Jake was leading him toward the driveway. The two boys were silent as they climbed into the car, and Jess' older brother pulled out onto the street.

"Looks like it might stop soon," he commented, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah. Hey, thanks for driving me. You really didn't have to."

Jake shrugged. "Not a problem, man." He glanced over at him. "You know…your dad used to coach my little league team."

Adam tensed, keeping his eyes locked on the road. "Yeah."

"You ever play?"

"Once."

"Not really your thing, huh?"

"No."

Jake nodded. "I'm glad."

Adam frowned, finally turning to look at him. "What?"

He shrugged. "If baseball had been your thing, you probably wouldn't be such a whiz at science. And then Jessie would be failing chem. So thanks – for helping her out."

"It's no problem."

The car stopped in front of Adam's house, and Jake put it in park. "Well it means a lot – especially to her." He nodded at the dark house. "You ever need a ride or something, you let me know, okay?"

Adam nodded. "Thanks. I'll, uh…I'll see you later."

As he watched the younger man make his way through the snow, Jake sighed.

"Good luck, man."

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Jess looked out over the crowded lunch room, her eyes scanning for a familiar face. She noticed a bunch of the other cheerleaders sitting in the middle, but just as she took a step towards them, she noticed someone else. A smile spread across her face and she turned, heading for a table off to the left instead.

"Nose stuck in a book?" she asked. "I should have known."

Adam looked up sharply at her voice, his expression softening when he saw who it was. "Uh…hey."

"Hey." She gestured toward the table. "Mind if I sit?"

He frowned. "Aren't those your friends over there?"

"Aren't you my friend, too?" Jess shrugged. "Look, if you'd rather be left alone…"

"No," he said firmly, cutting her off. "I-I'm sorry. I just…" He gave her a small smile. "You're always surprising me," he said finally.

She grinned at him as she sat down. "I like to keep you on your toes."

He blushed slightly. "Well you certainly do that." Shutting his book, he put it back in his bag before turning back to her. "So…how did the, uh…the exam go?"

"Eh."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "Eh? That's it? Jess, you knew this stuff inside and out –" He stopped when he realized that she was smiling broadly at him. "What?"

"I'm just messing with you. I think I nailed it."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good. I was…worried." He paused. "So, uh…I guess this means…you don't really need me anymore. I mean…you've got this stuff down…"

"Please," she interrupted. "This science stuff isn't going to get any easier as the year goes on." She shrugged. "Besides, you're my study buddy."

He chuckled at that, relaxing slightly. "Okay."

"Okay? So does that mean you'll keep tutoring me?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah. I'll keep tutoring you."

Jess reached over and stole one of his french fries, grinning as she popped it in her mouth. "Good."

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Lindsay clutched at her bag nervously as she moved down the sidewalk, the sun long gone and the lights along the street shining brightly. She knew that her parents would kill her if they knew where she was, and where she was going. She had lied to them for the first time in her life, and though she was scared to death, she also had to admit that she was excited.

It had been simple, really, though she couldn't have done it without Stella's help. Her friend and Flack were out on a date, but she had told Lindsay's parents that they were all meeting up at the diner like they often did. In all actuality, Flack and Stella were out for a drive, and Lindsay was walking away from the diner and towards the south end of town.

She knew that he would be working late. One of her teachers had mentioned car trouble, and had commented on how the nice young man working in the mechanic's shop had promised to get it done that night so that they could have it back first thing in the morning. Lindsay hadn't really thought much about it at the time, but as the day went on, her plan had slowly formed in her mind, and now that she was almost to her destination, she found that her stomach was tied up in knots.

The lights were still on in the office, and as she stepped inside, she saw Danny grabbing his coat from the rack.

"Headed out?" she asked.

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, but his trademark grin came easily as he zipped his jacket up.

"You're out late," he commented.

"You're working late."

He shrugged. "Had a Buick that didn't wanna cooperate."

"Mrs. Olgan's?"

Danny chuckled and shook his head. "There are no secrets in this town, are there?"

Lindsay shrugged, giving him a playful smile. "We can keep some things to ourselves."

He stared at her for a moment, as though trying to gauge what exactly she was saying. Then he shook his head and stepped forward, moving them both out of the office so that he could turn off the lights and lock the door.

"You eat yet?" he asked as they moved out into the night.

"No."

"You wanna hit the diner?"

She stopped and looked at him. "Too many people."

That made him laugh, but she could hear the bitterness in his voice. "Don't want people to see us together?"

Lindsay shook her head, imitating his accent. "Don't wanna explain myself to a bunch of people I don't care about."

Danny nodded. "Alright. So where can ya go in this town and not have to talk to people?"

"There's a drive-in just outside of town."

"Yeah? Well, I just happen to have a pickup truck perfect for movie watchin'."

"Is that a yes?"

Danny laughed, and this time she could tell it was sincere. "You askin' me out?"

"You stalling?"

He turned and led her to his truck. "You know somethin', Lindsay Monroe? I think you and me are gonna get along just fine."

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"It's starting to snow," Stella said softly.

She and Flack had gotten dinner early and then drove around the town, going nowhere in particular. Eventually they headed out into the countryside, knowing by unspoken agreement that they weren't ready to go home yet.

At the sound of her voice, Flack glanced over at his girlfriend. It still amazed him that she had finally agreed to go out with him, even more so that she was still going out with him almost three months later.

But lately she had been quiet. Every time he touched her, he felt her body tense up, and she didn't let him kiss her nearly as much as she had in the beginning. Her eyes were distant whenever they were together, and Don was genuinely afraid that she was going to break up with him. He only wished that he knew what he had done – then he could make sure he never did it again.

"You okay?" she asked, her eyes searching when he didn't reply to her comment.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Liar."

He gave her a small smile. "You can read me like a book, can't ya?"

"Not always."

Don pulled the car under a small bridge, where they could watch the snow fall onto the frozen river. For a long time, they sat in silence, the moon lighting the truck with a faint blue glow.

"Is everything okay, Stell?" he finally asked, not looking at her. "You been…different, lately. Like you're not totally here."

His stomach twisted in knots as he waited for her answer, and as the silence stretched on, he kept trying to steel himself for the words he was certain were coming.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet. "I know I've been distant. I guess…I just have a lot on my mind."

That hadn't been the answer he was expecting, but it didn't really do anything to allay his fears either. Swallowing hard, he decided to be more straightforward.

"Is it me? Did I do somethin' wrong?"

She turned to look at him, reaching out to gently turn his face towards her. "No, Donnie," she whispered. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just me getting trapped inside my own head."

He pressed her hand where it rested on his cheek. "You know I'm here, right? You don't have to work through anything alone."

"I know," she whispered.

Taking reassurance from her eyes, Don leaned forward and kissed her softly. Stella's eyes fluttered shut almost instantly, and Flack lost himself in the feel of her. His fingers tangled in her dark curls and he tilted his head, taking the kiss deeper as he pulled himself even closer to her. She responded in kind, moaning softly as her hands clutched at his jacket.

It wasn't long before their kisses became heated, hands moving over each other frantically. Don's lungs burned, but he didn't care, trying to slide one of his legs over the stick shift so that he could get closer to her. He forgot where he was entirely, consumed by the sound of clothing whispering against skin – skin that he suddenly couldn't touch enough of.

Stella pulled back suddenly, gasping for breath. "Don –"

He went in to kiss her again, but she pulled back even farther. "Don, stop."

The force in her tone made him freeze, and when he saw her eyes, he backed off slowly, moving to his side of the truck.

"What's wrong?"

She had pressed herself against her door, and her eyes were locked on the snow outside. "I guess I should have told you this before we started dating."

He frowned, suddenly worried again. "What?"

She still wouldn't look at him, instead staring down at her hands. "I…I…" She stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm not doing…that. Not with anyone. Not until I'm married."

It only took a second for things to click into place, and Don found himself breathing a sigh of relief as he smiled at her. "Okay."

Stella looked at him sharply. "Okay?"

"Yeah. I won't push, Stell. I can wait."

For a minute she was at a loss for words. "You…you think you're going to marry me?"

He shrugged, his eyes looking everywhere but at her. "Someday. If you'll have me."

She stared at him in disbelief. "We've only been dating for a couple of months."

Flack shrugged again. "Look, I'm not proposin' right now, and I'm not sayin' we rush things, Stell. I just…I like us. I like bein' with you, and takin' ya out, and…I can wait. However long it takes."

Tears sprang to her eyes at the sincerity in voice, and she reached over to take his hand in hers. "Okay," she whispered.

His eyebrows shot up. "Okay?"

Stella nodded. "Okay." Giving him a small smiled, she tugged at his hand. "Now come back over here."

"Are you sure?"

Her smile widened. "We can still kiss. Besides, I'm cold."

Don grinned as he slid over. "Let's see what I can do about that."

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Stella watched Lindsay as the other woman came into their room, running a brush through her dirty blonde hair. There was a dreamy look on her face that Stella was fairly certain she herself had worn earlier, and the curiosity was quickly getting to her.

"So…are you at least going to tell me if my lying to Brian was worth it?"

Lindsay looked over with a smile. "It was definitely worth it."

"And? Don't flake out on our deal, Monroe. I covered for you, I get all the details of what happened with that mechanic."

"Nothing happened…"

"Lindsay."

Her smile broadened, and she sat down on her bed. "…except for an amazing night with a great guy that I am totally falling for."

Stella sat up straight. "Okay, you're just being mean, making me wait this long for details."

"Don't you want to tell me about your date with Flack first?"

"That can so wait. Spill, sweetheart."

Lindsay laughed and fell back onto her pillow. "We went to the movies."

"And?"

"And we sat in the back of his pickup under an old blanket. And we just…we sat. He put his arm around me and I rested my head on his chest the entire time. He even held my hand."

Stella sighed quietly, a small smile on her face. "That sounds really nice."

"It was."

Did he kiss you?"

Lindsay shook her head. "I think we're still trying to find our way." She paused, blushing slightly. "He did ask me out though."

"When?"

"Next Friday."

"Please tell me you said yes."

"Of course I did." She glanced over at her friend. "He did kiss me on the cheek, though."

"What?"

She nodded. "He brushed the hair out of my face and then kissed me really softly, close to my ear. I almost melted on the spot."

Stella laughed. "Wow, kiddo. You got it bad."

"I do, don't I?"

"You do. But you know what? It was totally worth my lying for you."

"Thanks, Stella."

"You will let him know that if he breaks your heart, I'll have my boyfriend beat him up, right?"

Lindsay chuckled. "I'll make sure to tell him I've got close connections to our star quarterback."

Stella nodded. "Good."

Jess smiled as the group moved down the road, the snow falling softly all around them. She really did love winter, and caroling with her church was something she looked forward to every year. They were almost done now, and she had that same sense of peace she always had afterward.

Pulling herself back out of her reverie, she turned to Mrs. Davidson, who led the carolers. "Who's next?" she asked.

The older woman checked her list. "Hmmm. It looks like the Ross house. Usually the lights are all out, though, so we'll see if anyone is around this time."

Jess frowned, reaching back into her memory and realizing that Mrs. Davidson was right. There had always been one house where no one came out to listen to them, and it was Adam's. She hoped he would be there this year.

And as they rounded the corner, she saw that the porch light was on, and a lone figure stood at the door, leaning against the frame. She knew it was him even before they got close enough for the light to illuminate his features, and she found herself smiling as they lined up and started to sing.

He stared at her the entire time, a small smile on his face, and Jess couldn't help but blush and pray that she didn't forget the words. Time seemed to stretch and speed up all at once, and when they were finally singing their last note, she realized that she was going to have to turn around and disappear with the rest of the group instead of going up to talk to him. Mrs. Davidson was strict when it came to getting everyone home on time, and no exceptions were ever made.

But as the carolers began to move back down the road, Jess looked back to see Adam still standing there. He raised his hand and she waved back, the blush still burning on her face.

Still seeing his smile in her mind, though, she found that she didn't care.

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Mac walked down the street slowly, lost in his own thoughts. The night was cold, but common for the season, and he was comfortable in his coat, his hands buried deep inside his pockets. Plenty of people were walking around him, everyone enjoying the light snow as it fell softly all around them. Deciding that he wasn't quite ready to turn around and head home yet, Mac moved towards the skating pond, suddenly craving a hot chocolate.

When he reached the pond, his eyes widened slightly. It seemed as though every student from Bozeman High was in attendance, and the ice was a mass of bright colors and flying scarves. Christmas break was right around the corner, though, and he knew that none of the kids had their minds on anything but having fun.

He turned around and then found himself stepping back, just barely missing someone. Mac's eyes narrowed as he recognized the young man, and he searched his memory for his name.

"Danny, right?"

The younger man smiled. "Hey, Coach Taylor. What's up?" He looked down at his hands, each one holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate. "I'd uh, shake your hand, but…" He shrugged.

Mac chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I have to say, I didn't expect to see you here."

Danny nodded over to the right. "I'm takin' out a nice girl tonight. And she wanted to go skatin', so that's what we're doin'."

"Good. I'm glad you're making friends. Sounds like you might be settling in here."

He shrugged, his smile fading just a little. "Good a place as any, I guess. Look, I uh, I gotta go –"

"Of course. Have a good time tonight."

"Thanks, man."

Mac watched him walk over to one of the benches by the pond, and sit down beside a girl he recognized from the school. Both were grinning like fools, and Mac couldn't help but join them. Danny seemed like he needed a little happiness in his life.

His mind went back to the hot chocolates the young man had been holding, and he realized that that sounded like a good idea. Turning around, he walked over to the stand where refreshments were being sold. He got into line behind a curly-haired woman, and it took him a moment to realize who it was.

"Ms. Dessler," he greeted.

She turned around at the sound of his voice, smiling at him. "We've been over this before," she reminded him.

Mac chuckled. "Sorry. Michelle."

"That's better." She turned back to the guy running the stand. "Make that two hot chocolates, please?" When she looked over at Mac again, she had a playful look on her face. "You look cold," she explained.

Smiling at her, he stepped forward and set the money down on the counter for both drinks. "Then please, let me."

Her smile broadened as she took the offered cup, wrapping her hands around it and soaking in the warmth.

"Thank you. That's very sweet."

Mac could feel himself blushing as he nodded in the direction of the pond. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

He offered her his arm, and Michelle gladly linked elbows. "I'd love to."

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"You're really gonna make me go out on that ice, huh?"

"Don't they have ice skating in New York?"

Danny shrugged. "A little. But real New Yorkers don't do it, usually."

She smiled and reached for his hand. "C'mon, Messer. Skate with me."

"A woman who takes charge. I kinda like that."

Lindsay led him out onto the ice, where they joined all the other teenagers moving around the pond. They went slowly at first, Danny trying to pick up the grace that his companion employed, but he just couldn't get it. He frowned as he lost his balance a little, but kept moving.

"I feel stupid," he muttered.

Lindsay laughed and pointed out a huge guy he recognized from the football team. "Don't worry. Some of these guys grew up out here and they still can't skate worth a –"

Her sentence ended in a squeal as Danny lost his balance again, and they both tumbled into a snow bank at the edge of the pond. Despite the embarrassment of falling, he found himself laughing as well, an arm snaking around her as she lay half on top of him. The cold had turned her cheeks and nose red, and before he could stop himself, Danny reached up and brushed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her laughter faded into the night as her eyes met his, and without really realizing it, he found himself leaning up and pressing his lips against hers softly.

"I like you, Lindsay Monroe," he said quietly, pulling back to look at her again.

Her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as she smiled. "I like you, too." Pushing herself to her feet, she reached out for his hand. "C'mon, cowboy. I'm gonna get you around this pond at least once – even if it kills me."

Danny couldn't help but grin as he let her pull him back up.

"Stell!"

She turned around to see Flack jogging toward her and she stopped with a smile. When he finally reached her, he leaned over and kissed her cheek gently before entwining his fingers with hers.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to English?" she asked.

Flack shrugged. "I am."

"Your classroom is in the other direction."

He grinned at her. "I'm takin' the scenic route."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Are we still on for tomorrow night?"

"Actually…"

"Don't tell me you're standing me up."

"Of course not. It's…my ma wants you to come over. Have dinner with the family."

Stella stopped, staring at him. "She does?"

Yeah."

"Why?"

Don shrugged. "'Cause she knows I'm crazy about you, Stell. I know you two have talked and stuff during my games, but…she wants you to come over. To know…to know that you're family."

She felt her eyes filling up as she squeezed his hand. "I'd love to."

Tension seemed to seep out of his body as he smiled at her. "Yeah?"

Stella nodded and they continued walking. "Does this mean we're exchanging gifts there?"

"If that's okay with you."

"Of course it is." The bell rang as they came up to her classroom. "You're going to be late," she pointed out as he kissed her cheek again.

Flack shrugged and grinned at her as he started down the hall. "You're worth it."

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"You're beautiful," Don said as he slid into the driver's seat of his truck.

Stella blushed and ducked her head. "Thanks. Sorry I took so long to get ready."

He shrugged. "That's okay. Me and Brian talked."

"Don't most guys go running in the other direction when the father figure wants to talk to them?"

"Nah. He's cool." He glanced over. "You okay?"

"A little nervous," she admitted.

"You got nothin' to be worried about, Stell. My mom already loves you."

"I know, it's just…dinner with your family. It's a big step."

Don looked at her thoughtfully. "Too big?"

Stella turned to smile at him. "No. Just big." She shrugged. "I guess sometimes I'm still amazed that we work so well together."

"Didn't have much faith in me, huh?"

She reached out and took his hand in hers. "In either of us, Don. But you've proven me wrong so far…and I'm really glad. I just get nervous sometimes, okay?"

He nodded, squeezing her hand. "You're safe with me."

"I know. And sometimes that's the scariest part."

Don nodded again, but more slowly this time, digesting her words. The rest of the drive was silent as the truck moved forward slowly. Snow drifted down all around them, and some of the roads were a little slick, making them more dangerous. But soon enough they were at his house, and Don was helping her down out of the truck.

"Ready?" he asked quietly.

She squeezed his hand. "Yeah. Let's go."

Stella barely even had time to say hello once the door opened before Don's mother had pulled her into a tight embrace. Then she was being ushered into the house and re-introduced to Don's father and older brothers, everyone smiling and welcoming her, making her feel as though she had known them forever.

Dinner was already on the table, and Mrs. Flack ushered them all to their seats as she began to pass out the dishes. Stella found herself seated between her and Don, an easy smile already on her face as the three boys immediately went after the food.

"So Stella," Mr. Flack finally said as everyone settled into dinner. "My son tells me you live with the Monroes."

She automatically tensed, her eyes locked on her plate. "Yes, sir."

He nodded. "Good people. So were your parents," he added. "I'm glad you had a good family to go to after that tragedy."

"Don," his wife scolded. "I'm sure she doesn't want to talk about it."

He frowned, and then his eyes widened slightly as he turned back to Stella. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything –"

The tension eased out of her body, and she gave him a small smile. "That's okay, Mr. Flack. I'm very lucky to have them."

"And my son is very lucky to have you."

The younger Flack blushed and ducked his head. "Thanks, Dad."

"It's true. He's been over the moon ever since you agreed to go out with him."

Mrs. Flack sighed. "Don…"

"It's true," he repeated. "He's as bad as I was when you finally agreed to go out with me. How we both managed to get women so far out of our league…"

"Lookin' a little red there, Donnie," one of his older brothers laughed.

Don punched him in the arm. "Shut up."

"All of you stop it!" Mrs. Flack said sharply, despite trying to hold in her laughter. "Or none of you will get any dessert." That made them all quiet down, and then she nodded before turning to Stella. "Would you like some potatoes, dear?"

When dinner was finally finished, and the table cleared, Don came up to Stella, where she was drying the last of the plates.

"Do you wanna take a walk?" he asked quietly.

She frowned. "In this weather?"

"You can wear my varsity jacket."

It was then that she noticed how nervous he was – hands in his pockets, and his eyes not quite meeting hers. Reaching out, she rested her hand on his arm and smiled gently. "Okay."

Seeming relieved, he nodded and went to retrieve the coats. He wasn't gone long, and then he was helping her into the jacket and leading her out the side door. The snow was still falling, but it was much slower now, and enough cars had gone by to pack it down on the road. As they walked, Don reached out and slipped his hand into hers, his thumb moving slowly over her skin.

"I take it you wanted to exchange gifts out here?" she asked.

Flack chuckled. "How'd ya know?"

She shrugged. "I know you." Reaching into the jacket, she pulled out her gift and handed it to him. "Here. Let me go first."

He smiled, taking it from her and looking at it carefully. It was a large scrapbook, and as soon as he opened the first page, he stopped and smiled. Each page had pictures of him, playing football from the time he was a little kid. He flipped through the entire book before looking up and gazing at her in awe.

"How did you do all of this?" he asked quietly.

Stella shrugged. "I do Yearbook, remember? And I asked your mom for the younger pictures…do you like it?"

"Stell…I love it."

"I just…I thought you deserved something that showed how far you've come. It's your senior year, and you've got a lot to be proud of, Don."

He leaned in and kissed her softly. "I love it," he whispered.

Stella blushed. "I'm glad."

Don took a deep breath. "Guess that means it's my turn, huh?"

"Nervous?"

"A little."

She squeezed his arm and gave him a gentle smile. "Whatever it is, Don, I'm sure I'll love it."

"I hope so," he muttered.

Handing her the scrapbook, he slowly got down on one knee in the snow. Stella stared at him in disbelief as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black box. Her chest tightened and she struggled to breath, letting out a little gasp.

"Stell…" Don opened the box and held it up to her, revealing the small engagement ring inside. "I know it's not much…and I know we haven't been together that long. But…" He took a deep breath, "I love you, Stella. And I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. So…will you marry me?"

For a minute, she just stared at him, and Don found himself fighting off a wave of nausea. He didn't know what he would do if she said no…

"You really want to marry me?" she asked, her voice hushed and her eyes full of tears.

"More than anything."

Stella looked once more at the ring and then back up at his eyes, a tear spilling down onto her cheek.

"Yes."

His eyes widened as though he wasn't sure what he had heard. "Yes?"

She laughed. "Yes."

Pushing himself to his feet, Flack grabbed her around the waist and picked her up, spinning her around. His mouth was on hers before he even set her back down, and he wasted no time in deepening it, pulling her body tightly against his.

"I really didn't know if you were gonna turn me down," he breathed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you," she whispered, sniffling. "Does this mean I get to wear the ring now?"

"Yeah." Taking it out of the box, he slipped it onto her finger, smiling at the way it looked. "There. Perfect." He sniffed, and Stella realized how much emotion he was holding in. "I been dyin' to ask you since I talked to Brian –"

"You told Brian?"

Flack nodded. "While we were waitin' for you to get ready. I wanted his blessing, before I asked ya."

"And your family? Do they know you were going to ask?"

"My dad does. I think Ma'll be thrilled, though."

Stella smiled as she leaned up to kiss him softly. "Then let's go tell them the good news."

Lindsay sat down on Stella's bed, once again reaching for her hand and looking at the ring. "I can't believe he proposed," she breathed for the thousandth time. "How can you not keep staring at it?"

Stella rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I keep looking at it, too."

"You're getting married."

She took a deep breath as she moved to her dresser, removing her jewelry – everything but the ring. "Yeah. Guess so."

Lindsay frowned. "You're happy, aren't you? I mean…you said yes."

"I did. And I am. Don is definitely the man I want to be with." She turned around, leaning against the dresser. "But Lindsay…I'm not very good at the relationship stuff."

"But you've gotten better," she pointed out. "You and Don go together so well. And he adores you, Stella. And I can see how you feel about him, too."

Her eyes filled with tears. "But what if he finds out?" she whispered.

Lindsay's frown deepened. "Finds out about…" Her eyes widened. "You haven't told him yet?"

Stella shook her head. "Of course not. You're the only one who knows."

"But…why?"

"I can't tell him, Lindsay. He can't know."

"Why?" She persisted.

Tears fell down her face, so different from the ones she had shed in happiness earlier. "What if he doesn't want me anymore?"

"Oh Stella…" Lindsay got up and crossed the room, pulling her friend into her arms. "That won't change how he feels about you. Nothing could."

"I'm too afraid," she admitted, crying softly. "I can't lose him, Lindsay. I just can't."

Her sobs grew harder, and Lindsay just held her tightly, wishing she knew what to say.

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"Please tell me you're not still standing there, trying to convince yourself to call him," Jake commented.

Jess gave her older brother a withering glare. "Shut up."

"Jessica, be nice to your brother," their mother called.

"Yeah, Jessie, be nice," he taunted.

"I hate you."

"No you don't." He nodded at the phone. "Seriously, this isn't hard, Jess. Just call him up and invite him over. You've done it before."

"Yeah, for studying. This is different."

"You do want him to come over, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I just can't seem to make myself pick up the phone." She sighed. "This is ridiculous."

"You really got it bad for this guy," he observed, hopping up onto the counter.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do." She sighed again. "What if he's busy with family?"

"C'mon, Jess. We both know he'd like to be anywhere but home for Christmas."

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Jake's eyebrows shot up, and then he sat there thinking for a moment before shrugging. "You might be too young to remember."

"Remember what? Spit it out, Jake, before I beat it out of you."

He sighed. "Has Adam told you anything about his family?"

"Not really, no."

"His dad used to be my Little League coach."

She nodded. "Yeah, I kinda remember that."

"He was a bastard, Jessie. Just downright mean." He shrugged uncomfortably. "And there were…rumors."

"Rumors about what?"

He hesitated slightly. "About how he treated Adam."

Jess froze, thinking back to the fear she had seen in his eyes on occasion, and the bandage on his arm all those months ago. "Are you saying…?"

"I don't know. I don't have any proof. But you can see it in his eyes every time he leaves here, Jess – he doesn't wanna go home. And I think it's more than the fact that he's got the hots for you."

She blushed at that, even as she felt the anger rising up inside her. "Is that why you suggested I invite him over for Christmas dinner?"

Jake nodded. "One of them, anyway."

Jess took a deep breath. "I'll call him right now."

"Hey, man," Jake greeted as Adam climbed into the passenger's seat. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," he replied, closing the door. "Thanks for picking me up. And, you know…for inviting me."

"That was totally Jessie. But it's no problem. Certainly not gonna have you walk on Christmas."

Adam chuckled. "Jessie? I'm pretty sure she'd beat me up if I ever called her that."

"I think you'd be surprised, man." He glanced back in the rearview mirror at the house. "Your old man give you a hard time about comin'?"

He tensed slightly, but shook his head. "Uh, no…he's, uh…he's asleep."

Jake looked over at him for a minute before nodding and turning his attention back to the road. "Good."

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Truth be told, Adam was terrified about having Christmas dinner with the Angell family. He had had dinner at their house plenty of times before – Jess would invite him over for a study session most weekends, and her mother always insisted that he stay and eat – but it felt different when it was for a holiday. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't remember ever having a family dinner for Christmas, and he wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to act.

But none of that seemed to matter. As soon as he and Jake walked into the house, he was welcomed just like he always was. Jess' mom came right over and wrapped her arms around him, wishing him a merry Christmas and leading him to the table. Her brothers greeted him and joked around, just like they always did, and Jess joined in as well, smiling at him every time he looked over at her.

Dinner was followed by dessert, and then the family slowly drifted to different parts of the house. Adam found himself sitting on the couch in the living room next to Jess, the two of them watching the snow fall outside. Her hand was so close to his that he could reach out and touch it, and Adam couldn't stop looking at it, wondering what it would feel like to twine his fingers with hers.

"I'm really glad you came," she finally said, her voice hushed.

"Thanks for inviting me. This was…it was really nice, Jess. Your family is great."

She smiled. "They've kinda taken a liking to you, too."

He let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Because your brothers can be kinda scary."

Jess rolled her eyes. "They're idiots. But I love 'em."

Adam looked down at her hand again and then took a deep breath. "I, uh…I got you a present."

Her eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah. I, uh…I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is," she said gently. "I just…you didn't have to get me anything." Jess paused. "I got you something, too, though."

His head snapped up. "You did? Why?"

She shrugged. "You've helped me out a lot this year, Adam. And…we're friends. I just…I wanted to get you something."

She got up suddenly, disappearing up the stairs. Adam stared after her, wondering if he had said something wrong, or if he should follow her, but a minute later she was coming back down the steps, a wrapped package in her hands. Taking a seat next to him again, she held the present out.

"Here, you first."

He opened it slowly, wondering what on earth it could be. And when he finally got the paper off and opened the black box inside, he could feel his cheeks burning and his heart pounding.

"Jess…I love it," he said quietly, pulling the watch out of the box.

She shrugged, but she was smiling broadly. "I remembered you said something about breaking yours, and I haven't seen you wear another one, so I thought…"

"It's perfect," he said, giving her a matching smile. Then he remembered the box in his own pocket, and he pulled it out, trying to hide the way his hand was shaking. "Here. Merry Christmas."

Jess opened hers much more quickly, but gasped and stared once she had the box open. The earrings that rested inside were absolutely beautiful, and the way they caught the light in the room made them shine. A single pearl sat in the middle of each, and it was surrounded by stones that looked remarkably like diamonds.

"Adam…" she breathed. "I can't…"

"You don't like them?"

"I love them," she assured him. "They're…God, Adam, they're gorgeous. But they must have cost you a fortune…"

"No. I, uh…they're not real. I wish they were, but…they weren't nearly as expensive as they look. I promise. But they were…they were pretty, and I thought of you."

She stared at him for a minute, and he was afraid that he had said the wrong thing. But then she was smiling and taking the earrings out and putting them in her ears. "Good. Because I really want them."

They both laughed at that, breaking the tension in the room. Then Jess leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek, letting it linger for just a moment.

"Thank you, Adam."

He was blushing furiously, but there was nothing he could do about it. "Merry Christmas, Jessie," he whispered.

She reached out and squeezed his hand. "Merry Christmas."

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"This is definitely the best way to spend New Year's Eve," Stella commented as she and Lindsay stood in the kitchen.

Her friend looked out into the living room, where the rest of their friends were sitting, and nodded. "This was a great idea." Turning her head, she smirked. "Have you seen Adam and Jess?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely sparks flying there."

"It's like they're always almost touching. You think Adam will make a move?"

Stella laughed. "More likely that Jess will make the move. She's not one to back down from something she wants."

Lindsay smiled as she poured soda into some cups. "Well I think they're cute. And I think they're good for each other."

"Speaking of cute…will Danny be coming over tonight?"

She shook her head. "I didn't invite him."

Stella frowned. "Why not?"

"Honestly? I don't want my dad meeting him. I'm not entirely sure he'll approve of him."

"Danny's a good guy."

"Yeah, but he's also older than me, and the new guy in town. You know my dad. He'll keep asking questions until he's satisfied. And things are still new with Danny. I want to enjoy that and see where it's going before I subject him to a parental interrogation."

"Are you saying Brian would interrogate him?"

"Please, between him and Mom, my boyfriend would be toast."

Stella laughed. "They're just looking out for you."

"You think someday maybe they'll realize I have my own eyes now?"

"They already realize that. They just don't trust them."

"Gee, thanks."

"Just telling you how it is."

"Hey, you guys bringin' those sodas out anytime soon?" Flack called. "An hour to go 'til the new year, and we're dyin' of thirst."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Hold your horses, Don. Important girl talk going on."

His eyebrows waggled. "You talkin' about me, sweetheart?"

Jess smacked his arm and got off the couch, hurrying to the kitchen. "You guys are having girl talk without me?"

"We should just sit here and pretend nothing's happening, huh?" Adam asked.

Don watched the way the girls huddled together in the kitchen, their voices low. "Yeah, I'm thinkin' that might be the safest way to go, Ross."

"So what are we talking about?" Jess whispered.

"Lindsay's boyfriend."

Jess frowned. "Why isn't he here, anyway?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes, but Stella nodded. "Exactly."

Their friend crossed her arms. "I really want to see him."

"So call him," Jess suggested. "Worst comes to worst, you can just tell your parents he's a friend. They won't be home until really late anyway…you said they were at a party at the Clark house…they also celebrate late."

Lindsay shook her head. "I'm gonna go see him."

"At his place?" Stella's voice conveying how surprised she was at that.

"Yes, at his place." She gave her friend a nervous look. "Will you cover for me?"

"What am I supposed to say? That you went to some friend's house?"

"That works."

"And it's also the most see-through trick in the book."

"Only if they knew I had a boyfriend. And they don't."

"Lindsay…I like Danny. You know that…"

"But?"

"We worry about you," Jess cut in. "We just don't want you to get hurt, or do something you'll regret."

Lindsay took a deep breath. "I know. But this is what I want to do." She looked at Stella. "Will you cover for me?"

She stared at her friend for a long time before finally sighing. "Yeah. I'll cover for you. Just be careful, kiddo. Please."

Lindsay hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much."

She grabbed some of the party favors and a bottle of soda before slipping on her jacket. The guys watched in confusion as she said her goodbyes and left the house, and the other two girls came to sit with them again.

"Should I ask where Monroe is goin'?" Don asked.

Stella shook her head. "Not right now."

"Later?"

She curled into his side, resting her head on his chest. "Later."

88888888888888888888888888888

Danny frowned when he heard the knock on the door. It was New Year's Eve, and though he could hear parties going on in nearby houses, his only plans were to sit in for the night with a few beers. But the person persisted and knocked again, and he finally went to open the door.

Lindsay Monroe was the last person he expected to see, but he couldn't deny that he was glad she was there. Flashing her a smile, he leaned against the doorframe.

"Don't you have some get together at your place tonight?"

She shrugged. "Lonely without you."

"So your parents let you come all the way over here to see me?"

"They're out celebrating with friends."

"So you snuck out."

"Does it matter?"

He stood aside and let her in. "Not really." Shutting the door, he turned to face her. "Whatchya got there?"

She shrugged out of her coat. "I brought some soda. Wasn't sure you had any."

He thought back to the beer in the fridge and then smiled, heading to the cupboards for glasses. "Sounds good. I got some leftovers I was gonna heat up. You want some?"

Lindsay smiled. "Sure."

It didn't take him long to get the food ready, and then they sat on his couch, facing the window. Snow blanketed the entire town, and the apartment had a fairly good view of everything. They ate in silence, sitting close, and when Danny was done he rested his hand on her leg, running his thumb along the fabric.

"Why'd you come?" he asked quietly.

Lindsay turned her head to look at him in the near-darkness. "I wanted to see you."

He didn't meet her eyes. "But you didn't invite me to your little shindig tonight."

She turned, curling into his side and resting her hand on his chest. "I like having you all to myself. Besides…sneaking around is kinda fun."

"All a part of the charm, huh?" he asked, his expression lightening. "Sneakin' around with the boyfriend your parents wouldn't approve of?"

"I think they'll like you, Danny," she said, looking him in the eye. "And you'll meet them. Just not tonight."

"That's good. 'Cause I'm a little busy tonight."

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyebrows going up. "You got a hot date?"

"Very hot," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her.

They had done this before, more than once, and Danny's hands were quickly becoming accustomed to the feel of her hips underneath his fingers. Her mouth molded to his as she pulled him even closer and he moaned quietly as the kiss went even deeper.

They reached new territory, though, when Lindsay leaned back, stretching out along the couch and pulling him with on top of her. There had been girls before he'd gotten to Montana, but this was a first with her, and as her hands snaked under his shirt and set his skin on fire, he pulled back, breathing heavily.

"What are you doin'?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious," she said quietly.

Danny stared at her in disbelief for a minute before he saw the fear and nerves in her eyes. Leaning down, he kissed her softly.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, ignoring the voice in the back of his head, the one that had been chasing him since New York.

"Yes."

Her voice shook slightly, but there was no hesitation in her eyes. Once more silencing that nagging little voice, Danny leaned down and kissed her deeply, pulling her to him as the rest of the town ushered in the new year.


	3. Spring

"Hi there."

Adam turned at his locker to find Jess standing beside him, a big smile on her face. The weather was starting to warm up, and she had a pink skirt on, with a matching ribbon holding up her ponytail.

"Hi," he greeted. "What's up?"

She shrugged. "We're supposed to study, right?"

"Yeah. I thought we were meeting in the library."

"I thought maybe I'd walk you over there," she said with a smile.

Adam chuckled and shut his locker, turning to fall into step beside her. "Just making sure I get there safely?"

"I do what I can." She paused, looking down at the ground. "I got a question for you."

He frowned. "Okay…"

Jess stopped, turning to face him. "Do you want to go to prom with me?"

His eyes widened and his mouth fell open as he just stared at her for a second. "I…you…I mean…you…"

She shuffled her feet nervously. "A whole sentence would be really nice here, Ross."

"I'm sorry. I just…you really wanna go with me? Why?"

She shrugged. "I thought it was obvious…I like you. A lot."

A goofy grin spread over his face. "I like you, too."

"Is there a 'but' coming?"

Adam shook his head. "I'd love to go to prom with you."

Jess let out a long sigh. "Good." She smiled at him and nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on. I've got a chem test on Monday."

His smile widened as they started walking toward the library. "I think I can help with that."

"You're certainly a sight for sore eyes."

Stella rolled her eyes even as she grinned, leaning against the fence that circled the football field. "Flatterer."

He shrugged. "I like to think of it as simply pointin' out the truth."

She reached over and kissed him lightly. "Sounds like you're a charmer, too."

Don grinned. "Only for you."

She rolled her eyes again. "Gym class can't be that bad…you survived four years on the football team with Taylor riding you."

"Yeah, but that was fun."

"Why, because you got to knock other guys over?"

"Exactly."

"And Taylor doesn't let you do that in gym?"

Flack shook his head sadly. "Somethin' about it not bein' fair."

She patted his cheek. "Poor baby."

"Gee, thanks. You headed out?"

"Yeah. Girls' night tonight. You've got the bonfire tonight, right?"

Don nodded. "Last hurrah with the team before graduation."

"Well, have fun, and don't get into too much trouble."

"I'll do my best."

Stella smirked. "That's what scares me."

Flack stared into the fire, letting himself get lost in thought. All around him, his teammates joked and laughed, enjoying the break from homework or anything resembling responsibility.

He didn't mean to step away from them. But as he stood there, shadows and flames dancing in front of him, he could feel his life shifting, and he thought it was important to stand still and process it. His graduation and wedding loomed in the near future, and he could honestly say that he was anxiously awaiting both of them. He had already applied at the local police department, his friendship with Sheriff Angell making the entire process simpler. He was set to begin training the Monday after his wedding.

And when it came to Stella…Don had never been so sure of anything in his life. He loved her more than anything, and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with her. Even when she was going crazy about flowers or bridesmaid dresses, he could just sit back and smile…he'd rather be with the crazy version of her than the sane version of anyone else.

"You look like you're havin' deep thoughts, man…knock that shit off and have a beer."

Flack turned to see Dean Wilcox standing beside him, holding out a bottle. The quarterback just shook his head.

"No thanks."

"You got somethin' against beer?"

He shrugged. "I think you're havin' enough for both of us."

"Don Flack," Dean said, his voice loud, "the moral voice of the team and the resident do-gooder. Tell me, Donnie…is that why you agreed to marry Bonasera? Didn't wanna break the little orphan's heart?"

Don's hands balled into fists, but he kept his eyes locked on the fire. "Don't start this, Dean. Trust me – you won't be able to finish it."

Dean shrugged. "Well it's gotta be a charity case, Donnie. I mean, c'mon…it ain't like she's good in the sack either. Trust me, I would know…never really took you for a guy that would go after sloppy seconds –"

Flack didn't even think about it. His fist lashed out of its own accord, striking Dean in the face and sending is beer crashing to the ground. The next thing he knew, the two of them were rolling around in the dirt, punching each other as though their lives depended on it.

It took the entire team to separate them, and then Mac was standing between them, his expression livid.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" he demanded.

"Why don't you ask him?" Dean responded, nodding at his teammate.

"You fuckin' bastard," Don growled, struggling against the hands holding him.

Dean just grinned cruelly. "Not my fault your girl's a slut, Flack."

Mac stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him close. "You're lucky the season is over and I can't kick you off the team, Wilcox. I see you pulling this shit again, and you'll have me to deal with." He threw him back at his teammates. "Get him outta here."

As they dragged Dean away, the coach turned to Don, taking in the cuts and bruises on his face. "Let's get you home, Flack. You need to get cleaned up."

He shook off his friends and stalked away into the darkness. "I don't wanna go home."

Flack wanted to pound on the door and yell until his throat was raw. But no matter how deep his confusion and hurt and anger dug, he couldn't bring himself to do that. Not when Brian and Sandy might be home. He may have wanted answers, but he didn't want to be disrespectful to their home. So he bit his tongue and took a deep breath before raising his hand and knocking as calmly as he could.

He was actually glad that it was Stella who opened the door. He hadn't thought about what he would say if one of her parents had greeted him. When she saw him standing there, her brow wrinkled in confused, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the bonfire?"

That was when he remembered - Jess and Lindsay were there for a girls' night. He shoved that fact aside, though. He needed to talk to Stella, and it couldn't wait. Waiting for her to step aside, he moved into the living room, the light finally revealing the cuts and bruises on his face.

"Oh my God, Don," she breathed, reaching up to touch him.

He caught her arm before it reached him and his gaze locked with hers. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She frowned at the grip on her arm and the pain in his voice. "Tell you what?"

Flack swallowed down the lump in his throat as his jaw tightened. "Dean Wilcox," he spat out.

Her face paled, and she took a step back. "He told you?" she whispered.

"Yeah."

"Oh God," Lindsay breathed, standing near the couch.

Jess frowned. "Oh God what?" she asked in a quiet voice. "What's going on?"

"I get the feeling you'll find out in a minute. Can you go get the first aid kit?"

"Yeah, of course."

No one moved or spoke while she was gone. Flack just continued to stare at Stella as she tried to hold back her tears. They slid down her cheeks anyway, but she didn't try to wipe them away. When Jess came back, she handed her the kit without a word, and the couple moved to the couch.

"You could have told me," he said as he sat down, and she took a seat on the coffee table across from him. "You could have told me that you wanted to wait with just me. Instead of making me think –"

Stella froze, her hand inches from the cut on his forehead. "What did he tell you?"

He looked away, his jaw tensing again. "That the two of you…that you were together. Before."

She lowered her hand. "That is not what happened." Her lip trembled, and more tears fell down her face. "Don…he…he forced himself on me," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Flack stared at her in disbelief. "What? When?"

"Sophomore year. After a football game."

For a long minute, there was nothing but silence in the room. Stella kept her eyes down and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart and the shaking of her hands. Her stomach twisted into such painful knots that she wondered if she was going to be sick right there in front of everyone.

But then Don's gentle hands were on her face, lifting her eyes to his. "Why didn't you tell me?" he said.

Any composure she had left broke, and her shoulders shook as she cried. "I couldn't lose you, Donnie," she said, shaking her head. "I love you so much, and I was so afraid that you wouldn't want me anymore –"

His arms wrapped around her waist and he dragged her into his lap, holding her tightly. "Stella, I love you. Nothin's gonna change that. I promise."

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, clinging to him.

"None of this is your fault, babe." His arms tightened around her. "I'm gonna fuckin' kill that bastard," he growled.

"Please, Donnie," she begged. "Just leave it alone. Please."

"Stell –"

"It was a long time ago and I just want to forget it. We're getting married, and he is the last thing I want on my mind." She paused, fear creeping back into her eyes. "You do still want to marry me, right?"

Flack leaned in and kissed her softly. "There's nothin' I want more, Stell."

She gave him a small smile. "Come on, then. I've gotta get you cleaned up." She got off his lap and picked up the first aid kit again. "You're lucky these bruises will heal before the wedding."

Jess stepped up and handed her a washcloth and towel. "Need these too?"

Stella smiled at her friend as she took the items. "Yeah. Thanks."

The cheerleader reached up and hugged her. "We love you, Stella."

There was a small sound, and then Lindsay was hugging them too. Flack chuckled at the sight.

"Hey, hey. C'mon. I'm bleedin' to death over here."

Stella rolled her eyes and wiped at her cheeks. "Such a drama queen."

He smirked. "You know you love me."

She reached out and began to clean the cuts on his face. "I really do," she whispered.

Lindsay sighed as she traced random patterns across Danny's chest, her head over his heart.

"I really need to get going."

He kissed the top of her head. "And why is that again?"

"Because I'm supposed to be studying with Stella for our history test."

"I thought that was just your cover to come over here."

Lindsay smiled and rolled her eyes. "Stella made me promise that I would study with her in the afternoon. That was the only way she would cover for me."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Few more minutes, 'kay?"

She nodded. "Few more minutes."

Lindsay let her eyes close again, and gave in to just feeling his skin against hers. She had never felt like this about anyone before and she was having trouble convincing herself that she really needed to get up and go meet Stella at the library. Turning her head and breathing him in, she wondered if maybe she should tell her parents soon about the two of them. Sneaking around had been fun at first, but now she wanted to be able to tell her family about how happy she was.

The phone rang in the kitchen, and Danny groaned. Lindsay chuckled as he slowly disentangled himself from her and slid out of bed, throwing on a pair of jeans on his way out of the bedroom.

She heard his voice float across the apartment, but it was so low that she couldn't make out any of the words. Instead, she just closed her eyes again and held one of his pillows, letting the sound lull her back to sleep.

"You gotta go, Lindsay."

She opened her eyes to find Danny getting dressed and frowned. "What?"

"You can't go back to sleep. Ya gotta get up and meet with Stella."

"What happened to a few more minutes?"

"You've had a few more minutes. Now you need to get up."

Lindsay sat up slowly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin."

"C'mon, Danny. Talk to me."

"I'm fine. I just got some things I gotta take care of, okay?" He looked up from tying his shoes. "You gonna get dressed or what?"

"Is there some big hurry?"

He sighed. "Yeah, there is," he snapped. "We both got things to do and you're just sittin' there starin' at me." Taking a deep breath, he sighed, eyes shying away from the hurt look on her face. "I'm sorry. I just – I really gotta go, Monroe. And you got somewhere to be, too. Wouldn't want your cover gettin' blown."

She nodded and climbed out of bed. "Just give me a couple minutes," she said quietly, disappearing into the bathroom.

As soon as the door was closed, it was a battle not to let the tears fall. Instead, she threw on her clothes and shook her head. It was foolish to get so upset just because he needed to go do something. And he was right – she really did need to get to the library. But as she buttoned her shirt and opened the door again, she couldn't help but hear that nagging little voice in the back of her head that said something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Stella asked as soon as Lindsay sat across from her at the library.

"Nothing."

"Liar. It's all over your face, kiddo."

Lindsay sighed, setting her bag on the table. "Danny is acting weird."

Stella frowned. "What do you mean?"

She thought for a moment, struggling for the words. "I mean…he practically kicked me out this morning. It was like he couldn't get me out of the apartment fast enough."

"Did something happen before that?"

"We were lying in bed, just talking and laughing, and then…he got a call and he got all weird and cranky." She paused, her eyes full of fear. "Do you think he's got another girl?"

"Do you?"

"I don't know. I mean…everything's been great between us. And you know how news travels in this town. If he were seeing someone else, it would probably get back to me."

"True," Stella agreed.

"Then again," Lindsay continued, "nobody in town knows Danny and I are together. So it's just as reasonable to think that he could be seeing somebody else and nobody knows yet."

Her friend reached out and rested her hand on her arm. "The whole town might not know you're dating him, but they know that you're flirting and that you probably WILL be dating. So if he was flirting with someone else in town, they'd know that, too."

"So you think I'm overreacting?"

"I think you need to breathe and see if his weird behavior continues."

Lindsay sighed. "You're right. I just need to calm down."

"And open your book so you can study."

"You expect me to study with all of this on my mind?"

"I think studying will take your mind off of all this stuff. Of course, so would failing history, so I guess it's up to you…"

She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Great motivator, Stell."

Stella shrugged. "I'm here to help."

"I love shopping," Stella commented as she pulled another dress off the rack to try on.

Jess laughed. "And you get to do lots of it right now. Prom dress, wedding dress…hey, we're doing that next weekend, right?"

"Right. I want to get that squared away so I don't have to worry about it."

She stopped and looked at her friend for a long moment. "You glow, you know that?"

Stella blushed. "I'm really happy."

"You should be. Don's a great guy and you two totally deserve each other."

"Speaking of good guys…how's Adam?"

Jess blushed deeply and turned away to another dress. "He's fine."

"Yeah? Have you two gone out on a proper date yet?"

"We're going to prom together, Stella, that doesn't mean –"

"Please, you're crazy about him."

Jess sighed and turned back to face her. "I totally am."

"So…."

"So…I was kind of hoping that if I asked him to prom, he would take it from there."

"He's probably just nervous."

Jess shifted her weight from foot to foot as she stared at a dress. "But you think he might like me?"

Stella walked over and laid a hand on her arm. "I think he definitely likes you." She nodded at the dress her friend was looking at. "Now let's try on some dresses, okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

The two girls carried their choices over to the dressing room, taking two changing stalls next to each other.

"So where's Lindsay?" Jess asked. "I thought she was supposed to come with us."

"Yeah…well…things aren't going so great with Danny right now."

"Do I need to beat him up?"

Stella hesitated. "Lindsay asked him to go to prom with her and he said no."

Jess' head shot out over the door of the stall. "What?"

Stella looked over as well. "Said something about being busy."

"That's a load of crap."

She nodded. "I know. Lindsay is worried he's cheating on her."

"Do you think he is?"

She sighed. "I don't know. He's really changed in the last couple of weeks, Jess. Lindsay used to be all starry-eyed and happy, and now…now she cries. And I hate that. Which makes me hate him."

"So we're back to beating him up?"

"Flack already offered. But he's been in enough fights lately. If he breaks his nose before the wedding, I'll kill him."

"Understandable." Jess paused as she stepped out of the room, wearing a red dress. "So we wait and see what happens?"

"Pretty much. Hopefully he'll stop being a jerk." She stepped out as well, and her eyes widened. "Jess…you have to get that one."

The cheerleader blushed. "I like it."

"So do I. And so will Adam. Trust me."

"Good. Wow. Finding a dress was much less painful that I thought it would be." She nodded at the blue dress Stella had on. "Are you trying to give Flack a heart attack?"

Stella grinned and spun around. "You think he'll like it?"

"I think his jaw will hit the floor, and he'll only have eyes for you."

Stella nodded. "Good. That's exactly what I was going for."

Lindsay's stomach knotted as she knocked on Danny's door and waited. His odd behavior over the past couple of weeks had only gotten worse, and she knew that she had to find out what was going on. She didn't want to confront him, to ask him if there was somebody else, but she couldn't ignore the signs, either. She wouldn't be made a fool of.

She raised her hand to knock again, but the door opened, and she found herself staring at a disheveled Danny. His eyes were tired, his hair a mess, and he just looked really sad.

"What are you doin' here, Monroe?" he asked quietly.

Lindsay took a deep breath, inwardly steeling herself. "I need to talk to you."

"I don't have time –"

"Well you're gonna make time," she said firmly. "Because I'm not going to let you make a fool of me, Danny Messer."

He frowned. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Just let me in. Please."

Reluctantly, he stepped aside and let her into the apartment. Lindsay's eyes immediately went to the bag sitting on the couch, stuffed full of clothes. Refusing to cry, or to let anything show on her face, she turned to look at him.

"You're leaving?"

Danny shrugged uncomfortably, not meeting her gaze. "I got some stuff I need to take care of."

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "Is there someone else, Danny?"

His head snapped up. "What? No."

"Don't lie to me. I deserve better than that."

"I'm tellin' ya the truth, Lindsay. I just…look, you're better off without me, okay? We had fun, but we both knew this wasn't goin' nowhere."

She felt like she'd been slapped in the face. "Fun? That's what this was? Just fun?"

"You knew I wasn't one of your high school golden boys when you hooked up with me –"

"I didn't 'hook up' with you, Danny! I want to be with you!"

"Right. Which is exactly why you can't even bring yourself to introduce me to your friends, or even tell your parents we're seein' each other. I guess I'm just your secret boy toy, good enough to screw, but not to admit to anyone else!"

Her hand lashed out and she slapped his face, cutting off his tirade. She regretted it immediately, knowing that there was truth in his words, that she hadn't been fair to him. But it had hurt too much to hear.

"Why are you saying these things to me?" she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Danny sighed. "You're better off without me, Lindsay. I got too much shit goin' on in my own life. I don't wanna drag you down with me."

"If you would just talk to me –"

He shook his head. "Trust me. I'm doin' you a favor." He walked past her and picked up his bag. As he came back to her, he reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek. "My Montana," he whispered.

Then he let his hand drop and walked out, leaving the door open behind him.

He had meant to just hop on his bike and leave town. He had a note in his pocket for Mitch that he intended to leave in the office, and everything he'd come to town with was in the bag on his back.

But he didn't cross the town line. On his way through Bozeman, he passed the high school and stopped as he stared out across the football field. He remembered Coach Taylor coming up to him, making small talk with him. He wasn't sure the older man would even remember the encounter, but it had meant a lot to Danny that he would even take the time to learn his name.

The truth was, he didn't want to leave Bozeman. He liked the town, and he liked the people, and he thought he could see himself settling down here. And he didn't want to leave Lindsay. He had felt sick to his stomach saying those things to her, but he knew he could never be enough for her. It was better if he left now before he let his delusions get a hold of him and he ended up hurting her even more.

"Danny Messer, right?"

Danny looked up to see Don Flack sitting on the bleachers nearby. He recognized him from that night at the diner, and Lindsay had told him that he and Stella were engaged now.

"Yeah." He got off his bike and walked over, taking a seat next to him and extending his hand. "Flack?"

"Yeah."

For a long time, the two of them just sat there. Danny kept telling himself that he needed to get going, that this was only prolonging the inevitable. But sitting there with Flack, he realized how much he had missed having a guy friend to just sit around with, and that in and of itself was enough to make him stay.

"Looks like you're packed for a trip," Don finally said.

Danny nodded. "Yeah."

"You leavin' for good?"

"That's the plan."

"Then you better get out before Stell gets a hold of ya. 'Cause I'm guessin' Monroe wasn't too happy with you goin', and that means my girl probably hates your guts right about now."

Danny shrugged, trying to push away images of Lindsay's face as she realized that he was leaving her. "I got stuff I gotta take care of."

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"And what the hell would you know about it?"

Flack chuckled. "Look, Messer, I don't know you. But it's obvious that you're runnin'. Whether it's from somethin' here, or somethin' in your own head, I don't know. But don't make crap excuses."

Danny opened his mouth to protest, but no arguments came to mind. Instead, he shook his head and changed the subject.

"What are you doin' out here anyway? Shouldn't you be hangin' out with your bride-to-be?"

Flack shrugged. "Just thinkin'. I spent a lot of nights on this field."

"Sad about leavin' high school?"

"Nah. Not really. Just lettin' it go, I guess. I'm ready to move on. To have a job, to be a husband."

Danny shook his head. "Wow. You are way too well-adjusted, man."

"Geez, Donnie…marrying orphans and befriending outcasts…never knew you were so into social outreach."

Both boys turned to see Dean Wilcox strolling towards them, a beer in one hand and a bat in the other. Two or three guys from second string joined him, their bulk the only reason they'd been put on the team in the first place. One held a tire chain, while the other had a crow bar in his hands.

They stood up and jumped down from the bleachers, still keeping a distance between themselves and the other group of boys.

"Who the hell is this dick?" Danny asked.

"Still bitter that your girl spread her legs for me, Donnie?"

Flack was practically growling. "He raped Stella."

Danny's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing as he looked hard at Dean. "You put those bruises on his face?"

"Yep."

"Break any bones?"

"No."

Danny stepped forward. "How 'bout we take care of that now?"

One of the thugs with Dean rushed forward, swinging the crow bar at them. Danny easily ducked it and lashed out with his fist, sending the guy sprawling across the pavement. Dean broke his beer bottle over the fence and then he moved toward Flack, flanked by the other player he'd brought with him.

Blue and red lights flashed from the road, and they heard the siren just before two cars came screeching to a halt behind them. A cop jumped out, pointing his weapon.

"Police! All of you freeze!"

Don turned to see that it was Sheriff Angell and Coach Taylor that had shown up, and he immediately stepped away from the fray. But there was a yell beside him, and he turned just in time to see Dean barreling towards him.

"Don!"

Flack hit the pavement hard as Danny pushed him aside, and then Sheriff Angell was twisting Dean's arms behind his back and slapping handcuffs on him. Sitting up, Don saw Danny sitting beside him with Mac kneeling over him and touching the cut on his head.

"Looks like you might need stitches, Danny. But I'm pretty sure you just saved Flack from getting his throat cut." He nodded at Don. "Are you alright?"

Don nodded, still a little dazed. "Yeah…I'm good." He looked over at Danny. "Thanks."

Holding a handkerchief to his forehead, he shrugged. "Don't mention it."

The sheriff wasted no time in throwing Dean in the back of his car. "Just wait until I talk to your father, boy. And you better give me the names of them other two hooligans, or it'll just make it worse for you."

Dean glared up at him, but Mac got back to his feet and stepped forward. "I recognized them, Bill. I can give you their names and addresses."

"I appreciate that, Coach."

The radio in the car crackled. "Sheriff Angell?"

Bill picked up the radio and pressed the button on its side. "What's goin' on, Lucy?"

"Sir, we've got a big car accident out on Mathers Avenue."

"What happened?"

"Car skidded on some wet leaves and went into a tree. Dwayne's on the scene, but you should probably get out there."

"On my way, Lucy. Do we know who was driving?"

"Lindsay Monroe. They already took her to the hospital. Dwayne said she looked bad."

Danny was running for his bike before the dispatcher had even finished her sentence. Flack called after him, but he was already gone, flying in the direction of the hospital. A hand on his shoulder made Don turn around.

"C'mon," Mac said, "I'll take you to the hospital, too. I'm sure Stella will be there, and she'll need you."

All he could do was nod and follow him to the car.

"Where's Lindsay?"

Stella's head whipped around at the sound of Danny's voice, but when her eyes landed on Don coming in behind him, she moved forward.

"Don?"

He brushed past Danny and pulled her into his arms, grateful that she was okay. In the back of his mind, he had known there was a chance she had been in the car with Lindsay, and as he ran his fingers through her hair, he finally let out a breath he felt like he'd been holding since they heard about the accident.

"You're alright?" he murmured. "You weren't in the car?"

She shook her head, pulling back slightly. "She was alone." She turned and glared at Danny. "Last I knew, she was with you," she said pointedly.

He dropped his head, not sure how to explain what had happened. He could feel Stella staring at him, silently demanding an answer, but he didn't have one to give.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Sorry?" she asked. "For what, exactly?"

"Stella."

They all turned as Brian and Sandy came walking towards them. The anger on Stella's face dissipated as worry and fear took over.

"Did you talk to the doctor?" she asked.

Brian nodded. "Lindsay's going to be okay. Her right leg was fractured, but she'll recover."

Stella closed her eyes and exhaled before stepping forward and hugging both her guardians tightly. When she pulled back again, she wiped at her eyes, suddenly remembering that they weren't alone.

"Um, Brian, Sandy…this is Danny Messer. He's a…friend of Lindsay's."

Brian stuck out his hand. "Mitch Carlin's mechanic, right?"

"Yes, sir," he answered nervously.

The older man nodded. "I take it you're the boy my daughter's been seein' the past few months." When everyone just stared at him, he shrugged. "I'm not quite as blind as everyone thinks I am."

Danny stuffed his hands in his pockets and spoke slowly. "Sir…your daughter means a lot to me."

"I certainly hope so. You seem like a nice young man, Danny. I'd hate to have to kill you for breaking my daughter's heart."

Danny paled, but before he could reply, Sandy stepped forward and took his arm. "Would you be so kind as to walk me down to the cafeteria? I could use a cup of coffee."

He gave her a relieved smile. "Of course."

"Good. Maybe by the time we get back, they'll let us see Lindsay. I'm sure you want to talk to her."

"More than anything, ma'am."

She smiled at him and patted his arm. "Let's go then."

"You okay?" Flack whispered, kissing the top of Stella's head.

She nodded, her head resting on his shoulder as they sat in the waiting room. "I was really afraid I was gonna lose her, Don."

"But she's okay."

"Thank God." She wiped at her eyes. "What do you think happened with Danny? I know she went to see him today."

"He told me what happened."

She sat up, staring at him. "What?"

"He was on his way outta town when I ran into him. We had a talk. And then we were…interrupted."

"Don Flack, you had better start explaining right this second."

He chuckled at that. "I was at the football field, just thinkin', when he stopped on his bike. He was runnin' Stell, but he didn't want to. You may not believe this right now, but I think Monroe means the world to him, and he's just scared of screwin' it up."

"So he decided to leave town?"

Don held her gaze. "We all do stupid things when we're scared."

Her eyes dropped to the floor as she nodded, taking a deep breath. "So who interrupted you?"

"Dean Wilcox." Her head snapped up again, but he continued before she could open her mouth. "He wanted to cause some trouble, but Sheriff Angell and Taylor got there first. That cut Messer's sportin' on his forehead? He got between me and a broken beer bottle. I owe him my life, Stell."

She stared at him for a moment. "So you're telling me I can't hate him."

"No. I'm tellin' you why I can't hate him."

Leaning against him again, she entwined their hands. "Remind me to thank him when he comes out, okay?"

Don kissed her head. "Sure thing, Stell."

Lindsay opened her eyes slowly, surprised that she was waking up at all. It took her only a second to remember where she was and what had happened. She could still feel the fear that clutched her as the car slid across the road, and the tree trunk in front of her grew bigger and bigger until –

"Montana?"

Turning her head slightly, she frowned. "Danny."

He was clutching her hand tightly, and a tear slid down his cheek as he smiled at her. "Yeah, baby, it's me."

"But you left. How -?"

He gingerly touched the cut on his forehead. "Managed to get in a fight on my way outta town." He squeezed her hand even tighter. "Glad I did, too."

"Why did you leave?" she whispered.

Danny sighed, thinking over his answer. "I meant what I said, Lindsey. I'm a mess. But…a coupla weeks ago, I got a call from my ma back in New York."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah. It's…it's my brother. Louie. He, uh…he got into a fight a coupla years ago. A fight about me, actually. They, uh…" his voice got thick, "they beat him pretty bad. He's been in a coma ever since."

"Oh Danny…"

He shook his head. "My ma's had enough. She's pullin' him off life support and lettin' him go."

Lindsay raised her other hand and touched his face gently. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Danny shrugged. "It's my fault. Him bein' like that, and I just couldn't…I didn't wanna ruin you too."

"You're not gonna ruin me, Danny."

"I almost did tonight. If I hadn't been such a jerk, you wouldn'ta been out, and…"

"Danny, stop."

He did stop then, raising his eyes to hers. "I love you, Montana," he whispered.

Her smile was broad as she blushed. "I like it when you call me that."

Danny chuckled. "Good. 'Cause you're gonna have to get used to me sayin' it."

"Does that mean you're staying?"

"Your dad already told me he'd kill me if I broke your heart, so yeah. You're stuck with me for a long time, Lindsay Monroe." He paused. "I still gotta go back home for a coupla weeks, though. My ma."

She nodded. "Of course. So you met my dad, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I told you he'd like you."

"That you did."

"Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah, Montana?"

She squeezed his hand. "I love you, too."

Jake frowned when he walked into the quiet house. He knew that his parents were out, but Jess was usually home by now and blaring her music as she did her homework. Setting his bag down on the couch, he moved through the rooms slowly, looking for any sign of life.

"Jess?"

There was no answer. When he reached her bedroom door it was closed, and that only made his frown deepen as he knocked quietly.

"Jess?"

Jake pushed the door open and stuck his head into the room. His sister was sitting on her bed, curled up in a ball crying. Coming the rest of the way in and shutting the door behind him, he sat down next to her and gently touched her shoulder.

"Jessie, what's wrong?"

She turned over to face him, and it was immediately obvious that she'd been crying for a long time.

"He doesn't wanna go with me anymore."

"Who?"

"Adam. He called a couple of hours ago…" She looked up at her big brother as more tears fell down her cheeks. "I really thought he liked me, Jake."

For a second, he didn't know what to say. "So did I, Jessie…did he give a reason?"

She shook her head. "Just said that he was sorry and that he couldn't go…We only talked for a minute. It was like he couldn't wait to get off the phone –" She stopped when she saw Jake's eyes narrow. "What?"

He got off the bed and opened the door. "I'm gonna take care of this."

Jess chased after him into the living room, grabbing his arm and spinning him around. "Jake, no. Please. If he doesn't wanna go with me –"

He gently took her face in his hands. "Listen to me, Jessie. I think I know what's going on. Just let me check it out, okay. If I'm wrong, I won't do anything. Just…trust me on this, okay?"

Sniffing, she nodded. Jake gave her a reassuring smile and then grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

Jake was fairly certain that Adam wouldn't be home. He contemplated driving around town until he found him, or found someone who had seen him, but he quickly discarded that idea. He had gotten to know Adam fairly well since his sister had become friends with him, and he thought there was one place he should look first.

With finals looming in the near future, the high school library was open even later than usual. Jake parked his car in the student lot and then went in, his eyes scanning across the room as soon as he pushed open the doors to the library.

There were a few kids sitting around the tables, but he didn't see Adam. Walking across the room, he headed for the stacks in the rear of the library, looking down each aisle before moving on. It wasn't until he reached the science books at the very end that he found Adam sitting in a corner. His face was buried in a text book, but Jake could see the bruises. Quietly, he moved down the aisle and took a seat next to the younger man.

"Guess this means I shouldn't kick your ass for breaking my baby sister's heart."

Adam shook his head, his eyes full of tears. "I didn't want to hurt her."

"But you did. She's sitting at home, crying her eyes out."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Jake looked at him closely. "Your dad do that to you?" he finally asked.

Adam nodded. "Yeah."

"How long?"

He shrugged. "Since my mom died, I guess."

"What was his reason this time?"

"I uh…I told him about prom. He said a bunch of things…he was drunk –"

"Why didn't you tell any of us? Or Jessie at least."

He shook his head again. "I don't wanna drag her into this. She's better off –"

"Don't finish that sentence, man. We both know it's not true."

"I don't even know how…I don't know what to say."

"It won't take much, Ross. Trust me…Jess'll forgive you. But you gotta tell her the truth."

Adam nodded. "Okay."

Jake got to his feet and offered his hand, helping the younger man up. "C'mon. You'll have dinner with us tonight, okay?"

He hesitated. "Your parents –"

"My dad is gonna blow his top when he sees your face, Ross. But I think it's time somebody did."

"It won't stop him," he said quietly.

Jake chuckled as they moved toward the door. "My dad's the sheriff, Adam. And trust me – he can be pretty persuasive."

"Jessie?" Jake called as he and Adam walked into the house.

"What?"

She stopped as soon as she rounded the corner into the living room, her eyes locked on Adam's face.

"Oh my God," she gasped before rounding on her brother. "Did you do that to him?"

"Of course not!"

"It…it was my dad," Adam said quietly.

Jess stared at him for a moment. "Mom?" she called over her shoulder. "I need the first aid kit!"

"What for?" her mom's voice came back from somewhere deeper in the house.

"Can you just bring it please?" Jess stepped forward then, gently touching Adam's face. "Your dad?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

He nodded, not meeting her gaze. "I, uh…I told him about prom, and…"

Jess closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his torso and squeezing him tightly. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Adam fought back tears as he held her close, resting cheek against the side of her face. "I wanna go to prom with you, Jessie. I just…I didn't want you to have to deal with this. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "You're not alone, Adam. I'm not going anywhere."

"Does this mean you'll still go with me?"

She chuckled as she pulled back a little, wiping at her eyes. "Well, I do have a really pretty dress…"

He smiled at her, relief in his eyes. "I can't wait to see you in it."

"What's all the noise up here?" Jess' dad asked, coming into the room. When his eyes landed on Adam he froze, taking the pipe out of his mouth. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Who managed to hurt themselves –" Mrs. Angell stopped right beside her husband, her eyes wide as she took the scene in.

Jake stepped forward and took the first aid kit from her, handing it to Jess. "How about I explain it while Jess gets him cleaned up?"

His dad nodded slowly. "I think that's a good idea, Jake."

The three of them disappeared toward the back of the house, and Jess led Adam to the dining room table. Without a word, she started pulling out gauze and antiseptic.

"I really am sorry," he said quietly.

She reached out and took his hand. "I'm not mad. But…you can talk to me about anything, Adam. You don't have to be ashamed."

"Jessica, don't clean those cuts yet."

They both turned to see her father striding back into the room, his face stony.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because we need to get Adam down to the station and take official pictures." He turned to the man sitting across from his daughter. "I'm arresting your father."

"Mr. Angell –"

"He can't keep doing this, Adam. My son told me that this has been going on for some time. You're going to file charges, and I'm going to arrest him. And then we're going to get you legally emancipated so that you don't have ever have to worry about him again." He paused, gentling his expression. "Let us help you," he added quietly.

Adam thought about it for a moment and then nodded slowly. "Okay. Thank you. For everything."

Jess immediately stood up. "I'm coming too."

Her father chuckled and shook his head as he grabbed his jacket. "Of course you are."

"Stop movin'."

Adam clenched his fists and tried to stand still as the other man worked on his tie. "Sorry. I'm, uh…I'm kinda nervous."

Flack raised his eyebrows. "Ya think?" Glancing back at the tie, he nodded. "There. You're all set."

"Thanks, man. Not sure I coulda done that."

Don chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure someone's gonna have to do my tie in a coupla months."

"You excited? About the wedding?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Good. You two…you work. Really well."

"So do you and Jess."

"Thanks. I, uh…I should probably ask her out, huh?"

Flack turned to stare at him in disbelief. "You still haven't asked her?"

Adam blushed. "I think I was hoping she would do it."

He sighed. "She asked you to prom, dude. It is totally your turn to step up. At least kiss the girl, alright?"

"Right. Tonight. That's romantic, right?"

Flack chuckled and shook his head. "I'm pretty sure Jess doesn't care when you kiss her. Just that you do."

Adam nodded and opened his mouth to answer, but instead his jaw dropped as Jess and Stella walked into the room. He heard Flack's breath hitch beside him and he knew that he wasn't the only one in awe.

"Wow," Don breathed. "Stell, babe…wow."

She smiled as she stepped up and kissed him lightly. "You're usually more eloquent than that, sweetie."

"I'm not sure words suffice here."

She blushed deeply even as she rolled her eyes. "Flatterer," she whispered.

"You look amazing, Jessie," Adam murmured as she came up to stand in front of him.

Her blush was even deeper than Stella's. "You know if anyone besides you or Jake called me that, I'd beat them up."

He ducked his head. "Sorry."

Resting her hand on his chest, she smiled. "I like it when you say it." Her hand drifted up to his face and she touched his cheek softly. "The bruises are almost gone."

"Yeah. Which is good. I was really sick of people staring at them. Of course…now they're just gonna stare at me because I'm…well…me."

Jess' smile grew playful. "They stare at you now because you're the cool junior who gets to live by himself."

"And that is also the reason your dad will never let you come over."

Realizing what he had just said, Adam blushed deeply, but Jess just laughed softly, her hand still on his face. "Good thing he has no problem with you coming over to my place then."

"Aren't you guys gone yet?"

They all turned to see Lindsay hobbling into the room on her crutches. The cast was set to come off in a week, forcing her to miss prom.

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Stella asked.

Her friend rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. Mom and Dad will be home in a couple of hours. Besides," she said with a smile, "Danny is supposed to call soon."

"He's called you every day since he left."

Lindsay nodded. "Yeah. I can't wait until he comes home, though. I miss him."

Flack grinned. "Whoever woulda thought those crazy kids would work it out?"

Stella swatted at him. "You're a hopeless romantic, you know that?"

"You seem to like it alright."

"Get out of here," Lindsay urged. "You don't want to be late."

Stella hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "Have a good night."

"You too. All of you. Now get outta here!"

Laughing, the rest of them said their goodbyes and headed toward the door, slipping out into the cool spring night.

"Are you having a good time?" Flack asked quietly as he and Stella danced.

She smiled up at him. "Of course I am. I'm with you."

He chuckled. "Now who's the flatterer?"

Pulling herself closer, she looked him in the eye. "I don't know if I've told you this before, Don, but…thank you for not giving up on me."

"You're pretty easy to hang on to, Stell. I'm just glad you finally said yes."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Don grinned. "And pretty soon, you're gonna be stuck with me for the rest of your life."

Stella's smile matched his own. "I can't wait."

They dance in silence for a long time after that as the band played a few slow songs one right after the other. Don pulled her just a little closer until she could lay her head on his shoulder and he breathed her in, letting his eyes slide shut.

When he opened them again, his gaze landed on a couple of familiar faces, and he chuckled.

"Well, check those two out."

"Who?" Stella asked, lifting her head.

Don pointed across the room. "Over there."

Her eyes scanned the crowd until they finally landed on Coach Taylor and Ms. Dessler. They were dancing, their bodies even closer than Stella's and Flack's.

"They look happy," she murmured.

"You think they're together?"

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond, but just then, Michelle leaned in and kissed Mac softly. "Does that answer your question?" Stella asked.

Don chuckled again. "Yeah, guess it does." He paused. "Mac deserves somebody like that. It's been a long time since he's been happy."

Stella frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He was married…a long time ago. But she died in a car accident. I think a part of him has been mourning her ever since." He shook his head. "I've never seen him smile like that."

"I didn't know," she murmured, watching the couple again. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"Do you see that ring?"

Flack's eyes narrowed as he stared at them, and then they widened slowly. "Wow."

"How long have they been together?"

He shook his head. "He has been happier lately…and I haven't seen him around nearly as much. Wow."

Stella laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a big softie."

"But you love me anyway, right?"

This time she kissed him on the lips. "It's one of the many reasons that I love you, Don Flack."

Adam was finding it entirely too difficult to think with Jess in his arms as they moved slowly to the music. Whatever perfume she was wearing was making his head swim just a little, and he found himself pulling her just a little bit closer. Eventually, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he found himself grinning as he stare down at her neck.

"You're, uh…you're wearing the earrings. The ones that I gave you."

Jess smiled, picking her head back up. "Of course I am. I love them."

"They look really good on you," he said quietly.

She watched him carefully for a moment. "I saw Mr. Holk last week. At the grocery store."

"Okay…"

"I was wearing these and he noticed them."

His first reaction was to freeze, but his feet kept moving and he swallowed hard. "Well, jewelers probably tend to do that…"

"He said they were real, Adam."

He dropped his head, not sure what he should say to her. When she realized that he wasn't going to answer her, she lifted his chin gently with her hand.

"Why would you spend that kind of money on me?"

"I didn't."

"Adam –"

"They were my mom's."

That made Jess stop completely as she just stared at him. Adam felt his cheeks grow hot and he started to pull his arms away, wondering if he had ruined things. But she caught his wrists and pulled them back, bringing him close to her again.

"Why?" she whispered, her eyes full of tears. "Why did you give them to me?"

He shrugged, not quite meeting her gaze. "They were her favorites…my grandfather, he, uh…he gave them to my grandmother for an anniversary and they got passed down. When I was little…she used to, um…she used to tell me about them. And she said that when I found a girl who made me happy, I should give them to her." He lifted his eyes then. "And you make me happy, Jess."

Adam reached out and touched her cheek, catching a tear as it fell from her eye. Then he slowly leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted to. But Jess' arms slid up around his neck again and she brought him closer, sighing as he deepened the kiss.

"It's about time, Ross," she laughed when they eventually pulled back.

He blushed. "Sorry."

Jess shook her head and brought her mouth to his ear, enjoying the way his hands tightened on her waist.

"You make me happy, too," she whispered.

"Hold still," Adam muttered.

Flack sighed and tried to stop fidgeting. "Sorry."

"A little nervous?"

"I will be very impressed if I get through this day without messing somethin' up."

Adam laughed. "You'll be fine. I survived prom, didn't I?"

"And got a pretty smokin' girl in the process."

He blushed. "Yeah, I did. But you're marrying a pretty awesome woman."

"I am. I still can't believe she said yes."

"Well, now you'll get to spend the rest of your life figuring out why she puts up with you." He paused. "There. You're all set."

Don tugged gently at the tie. "Thanks, man."

"No problem. Just returning the favor."

"Are you two ladies ready yet?"

Flack turned to glare at Danny as he walked into the room. "Watch it, Messer, or I won't let ya be in my wedding. And then I'll let one of my football buddies walk Monroe down the aisle."

Danny's face hardened. "Not funny, man."

Adam grinned. "Actually, it kinda was."

"You want one of his football buddies walkin' _your_ girl down the aisle?"

He shrugged. "I'm pretty sure Jess chose me _over_ those guys. So I'm not worried."

Flack clapped him on the back. "That's the spirit, Ross."

"You guys are cutting it close," Mac commented, standing in the doorway.

"We're ready," Don said.

"Good. Why don't you and Adam head down to the sanctuary. I just want to talk to Danny for a second."

"Sure, Mac." He paused on his way out the door. "You see the girls yet?"

"Yes."

"How's Stell doin'?"

Mac smiled. "Trust me, Don. You have a very happy and willing bride-to-be. And she looks stunning."

Flack grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now get out of here." He waited while the other two left, and then he turned to Danny. "So. Did you think about what we talked about at graduation?"

Danny stuck his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the wall. "Ya know…watchin' Montana up there, gettin' that diploma…I never really thought about how much I wanted one, too. How I woulda loved to be up there with 'em. All of 'em. I missed a lot when I left New York."

Mac shrugged. "You had stuff you needed to work out, Danny. And I think maybe you ended up right where you belong. You seem to be happy."

He smiled. "You know, Mac…for the first time in a long time…I feel good. I like where I'm at. I've got friends, and a great girl…" He paused. "Can you really help me get my GED?"

"Absolutely. If you really want it."

Danny thought for one more second. "I want it."

"Good."

He stepped out and shook the older man's hand. "Thanks, Mac. I mean that. I never really had a dad lookin' out for me…you've really helped me out since I got here."

Mac smiled. "You're welcome. Now…let's go get Flack married."

Stella's stomach was aflutter with butterflies even before she and Brian began walking down the aisle. But as her eyes landed on Flack, standing there in his tuxedo, a sense of calm came over her, and she was smiling broadly as she passed all the guests standing on either side of her.

When they reached the altar, and Brian kissed her cheek, she turned and slipped her hands into Don's. His eyes were moist, but the smile on his face matched hers.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hey."

As the pastor began to speak, Stella realized that she had finally come home. Her hands shook slightly as she and Don exchanged rings, but their gazes never wandered from each other. And when Don looked at her with his heart in his eyes and said, "I do," she didn't even try to stop the single tear that slid down her face.

"Do you, Stella Bonasera, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

She smiled, her heart full. "I do."


End file.
